Most Improved Player
Apr 8, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) calls for the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
A franchise with some of the league's greatest among its draftees has a deep and interesting past. Who are the top 10 draft picks in Milwaukee Bucks history?
The Milwaukee Bucks are no stranger to the highs and lows of the NBA Draft.
One of the older franchises in the league, the Bucks joined the NBA in 1968. In just their second season, they drafted a future Hall-of-Fame center in Lew Alcindor (who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and won a title just two years later. Their ascension straight to the top took full advantage of the NBA Draft in quickly building a solid roster.
In the decades since, the Bucks have struggled to put together strong top-to-bottom rosters, never once winning the Eastern Conference after trading Abdul-Jabbar. While the team has sustained stretches of strong play — 12 straight postseason appearances from 1980-91 — they have likewise slogged through seasons of mediocrity, such as a current 16-game stretch without a playoff series victory.
With the selection of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Bucks hark back to their selection of Abdul-Jabbar all those seasons ago. The young forward from Greece brought childlike wonder and elite potential to Milwaukee, and the sky is still the limit.
A number of seasons stretch between the two selections, and they provide context as Milwaukee prepares for its 50th NBA Draft. Who are the top 10 players drafted in Milwaukee Bucks history? How have those players helped the Bucks and their fans celebrate greatness – and which players belong in the pantheon of Milwaukee basketball?
Honorable Mentions: Andrew Bogut (2005), Jabari Parker (2014), Ersan Ilyasova (2005), Quinn Buckner (1976), Vin Baker (1993).
10. Glenn Robinson (SF) – No. 1 pick in 1994 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 568 GP, 21.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 3.1 TOV, 46.3 FG,%, 34.0 3P%, 81.2 FT%
The Milwaukee Bucks won the first overall pick in the NBA Draft four times during their history, with the first time bringing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and an NBA title to Milwaukee. The second and fourth brought disappointing centers who were eventually traded away (Kent Benson and Andrew Bogut). The third was a small forward called Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson.
For much of his career, Robinson was the best player in Milwaukee, including his rookie year when he scored 21.4 points per game and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. In eight seasons with the Bucks, he failed to put up 20 points per game just once (18.4 in 1998-99) and made it to a pair of All-Star games in 2000 and 2001.
Robinson toiled for years on the Bucks, putting up numbers and highlight reel plays but failing to propel the team into the postseason. That changed under the tutelage of George Karl, and alongside Ray Allen and Sam Cassel the Bucks returned to the postseason after a seven-year drought including the start of Robinson's career.
The so-called "Big Three" lead Milwaukee to the playoffs in four of five seasons, never finishing below .500. The height of their run was in 2001 when the team was a game away from the NBA Finals, pushing Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers to seven games before eventually losing.
While Glenn Robinson was never a truly dominant player, he was a versatile scoring threat and a beloved Milwaukee Buck. That gets him onto the list at 10 ahead of a longtime teammate in Vin Baker and a fellow first overall pick in Andrew Bogut.
9. Paul Pressey (SF) – No. 20 pick in 1982 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 580 GP, 11.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 2.6 TOV, 49.0 FG%, 74.5 FT%
Paul Pressey was a late first-round pick in the 1982 NBA Draft, and for the first few seasons of career was a bench rotation player for the Bucks. But in 1984 he broke out, becoming a full-time starter and the team's primary facilitator.
Despite joining a team filled with other skill position players, Milwaukee coach Don Nelson wanted to take advantage of Pressey's gifted passing ability. He thus deployed him nominally as the 3, but with the ball-handling duties of a point guard. Basketball lore suggests that Pressey was the first NBA player referred to as a "point forward" – a term now used to describe stars such as LeBron James and another Milwaukee draft pick.
Pressey never scored more than 16.1 points in a single season, but on a team loaded with other members of this list he didn't have to. The Milwaukee Bucks made the postseason all eight seasons Pressey was on the team, and five of those seasons Pressey led the team in assists. "Point forward" was a role in which he thrived.
Many of the accolades heaped on other Milwaukee greats missed Pressey, such as retired numbers or All-Star appearances. But Pressey was one of the first in a basketball revolution that is still reverberating today, where position-less basketball grows in popularity and effectiveness.
8. Junior Bridgeman (SG) – No. 8 pick in 1975 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 711 GP, 13.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.8 TOV, 47.8 FG%, 84.0 FT%
If Paul Pressey was a precursor to a generation of point forwards, then Bridgeman did the same for sixth men. In 10 seasons with the Bucks he played 711 games, still a Milwaukee record – and started just 19.
To suggest that his impact was muted by coming off the bench would miss the contributions Bridgeman made to the franchise. His jersey hangs from the rafters of the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Although rarely starting, Bridgeman played in nearly every game and never averaged fewer than 20 minutes per game during his first stint with the team.
Bridgeman was one of the key pieces in the trade for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that sent one of the greatest players in NBA history to Los Angeles. He played 10 seasons in all for the Bucks, returning for his final year to retire with the franchise where he made a name for himself.
The 2-guard's best feature was his scoring, as he averaged double-digit points per game for eight straight seasons, including 16.8 PPG in 1981 — a year in which he never started a single game. Junior Bridgeman was a quintessential sixth man in a time when the league wasn't sure what that was. Luckily for Bridgeman and Milwaukee, the Bucks figured that out.
7. Michael Redd (SG) – No. 43 pick in 2000 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 578 GP, 20.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 1.6 TOV, 44.9 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 84.0 FT%
One of two players on this list picked since the turn of the century, Michael Redd was the epitome of a score-first guard. After learning from some of the best in Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen, Redd became the top-dog in Milwaukee in 2003 and kept the team afloat after the departures of Karl and the Big Three.
Redd broke the 20 PPG mark in six consecutive seasons, serving as the face of the franchise for a team reeling after its early success. The Bucks made the playoffs just once over that span, losing in the first round on their only trip. Without a supporting cast, Redd was never able to elevate the team any higher.
Even without a strong roster surrounding him, Redd continued to put up numbers season after season. He made the 2004 All-Star roster, then finished the season on the All-NBA Third Team. He ranked in the top 10 in scoring leaguewide on four separate seasons as he became one of the league's most prolific scoring guards. By the time he hung up his hat, Redd was fifth in Win Shares among Bucks players.
While Redd never led the team to the heights of yesteryear, he did provide offensive excellence for a team that would struggle to find that afterwards. Every bit as remarkable as his performances is the fact that after Redd, another Buck would not make the All-Star Game until Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2017.
Milwaukee Bucks
Apr 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after a play against Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (notpictured) in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Milwaukee defeated Toronto 97-83. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF/PF) – No. 15 pick in 2013 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 318 GP, 14.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 2.3 TOV, 49.7 FG%, 27.7 3P%, 74.0 FT%
Giannis Antetokounmpo is, quite simply, the hope of Milwaukee's future. There is excitement around Thon Maker, and Jabari Parker is a gifted scorer. Malcolm Brogdon was a second round steal, and Khris Middleton is still underrated as a two-way wing. But Giannis Antetokounmpo is the future.
Based on statistical accomplishment alone, Antetokounmpo hasn't yet earned this ranking. But the "Greek Freak" has not only energized a fan base and given Milwaukee the true superstar they were searching for, but has also done so by revolutionizing NBA positions and breaking all manners of comparison.
A true point forward like Paul Pressey before him (and LeBron James directly before), Antetokounmpo possesses the handle and passing instincts to handle the ball-handling duties full time. This also minimizes his greatest weakness – poor outside shooting – and maximizes the talent around him. His frame (more like Kevin Durant than LeBron) speaks to greater potential simply lying in wait.
More than just a passing forward, Antetokounmpo is a lockdown defender capable of guarding 1-5. His steal and block rates were among the league leaders this past season, and overall he led the Bucks in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game.
Antetokounmpo will be just 22 when the 2017-18 NBA season begins, and already ranks 19th in franchise history in career win shares. If he stays with the Bucks for the duration of his recently signed extension and merely maintains his level of production, Antetokounmpo will leap to third in career win shares. If he continues to improve as he has every season of his career, Antetokounmpo could one day be the most productive Buck in franchise history.
5. Ray Allen (SG) – No. 5 Pick in 1996 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 494 GP, 19.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 2.6 TOV, 45.0 FG%, 40.6 3P%, 87.9 FT%
Ray Allen is the rare player who made a significant impact for four different franchises over the course of his career, from his early days in Milwaukee to his final days hitting perhaps the biggest shot in NBA Finals history.
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Allen's largest spot in history is as the career leader in three-point field goals, an accolade that will be hard to touch even for the Splash Brothers. For the Bucks, Ray Allen was a dynamic athlete and scorer who lit up opponents and drove teammates to be better. He holds the franchise record for three-pointers made in a season (229) and for a career (1051).
It should be noted that Allen was not simply a basketball player, but a committed community advocate and even an actor, starring in the 1997 film He Got Game. If Sam Cassell was the heart of the "Big Three," then Allen was the muscle memory, ensuring those teams got off quality looks as often as possible and shot the lights out against any opponent.
Ray Allen made 10 All-Star appearances over the course of his career, the first three coming in Milwaukee. He burst onto the scene as a rookie, hitting 117 three-pointers and landing on an All-Rookie team. By 2001 Allen was at the level to earn Third Team All-NBA honors, and in 2004 he finished on the Second Team to go along with his ninth place in MVP voting.
While not the absolute greatest player because of his brevity in Milwaukee, Allen did a lot of great things for a team that made great use of his skill-set.
4. Marques Johnson (SG/SF) – No. 3 pick in 1977 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 524 GP, 21.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 2.4 TOV, 53.0 FG%, 73.6 FT%
Marques Johnson is one of the more underrated players in Milwaukee Bucks history, but deserves to receive his due for his franchise contributions. Taken third in the 1977 NBA Draft, Johnson was part of the replacement plan for Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A national champion at UCLA, Johnson won multiple Player of the Year awards his senior season before entering the NBA.
Johnson played seven seasons for the Bucks, starring alongside Sidney Moncrief and Paul Pressey on a team that made the playoffs six of those seven years. Twice the Bucks pushed to the Eastern Conference Finals, but were unable to get over a hump thanks to stacked competition featuring Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Isiah Thomas.
Although he was part of a deep stockpile of wings who could score and pass, Johnson was perhaps the best of all of them at simply scoring the basketball. He put up 21 points per game in Milwaukee, fourth in franchise history. He also commanded the glass about as well as any wing did in that era, eventually amassing 1,468 offensive rebounds – the most in Bucks history.
Johnson was decorated for his accomplishments, making four All-Star appearances while in Milwaukee. He was a first-team All-Rookie selection in 1978, then in his next three seasons received All-NBA honors. In 1981 he finished sixth in MVP voting, in the mix with a number of future Hall-of-Famers, including former Buck Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
3. Bob Dandridge (SF) – Pick No. 45 in 1969 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 618 GP, 18.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 1.0 TOV, 48.7 FG%, 77.0 FT%
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, and was undeniably the best player on Milwaukee's only title team in 1971. Oscar Robertson was perhaps the league's best guard, racking up triple-doubles and absolutely stuffing the stat sheet. But not to be forgotten is Bob Dandridge, the third member of that championship triumvirate.
Dandridge was taken by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 45th pick in the draft, their fourth selection that year. While Lew Alcindor – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – was the most accomplished player to enter the league that year, Milwaukee also drafted the second-best player from that draft class.
The 6'6″ small forward played with Milwaukee for nine seasons overall, eight to start his career and then one final season at the end. Dandridge was a key part of the Bucks' title run in 1971, putting up 19.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
Dandridge made it to three All-Star Games with the Bucks (and four overall), earning recognition in his time for his contributions alongside his Hall-of-Fame teammates. His No. 10 jersey hangs in the rafters over Milwaukee home games, retired in March 2015.
2. Sidney Moncrief (G) – No. 5 pick in 1979 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 695 GP, 16.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 2.1 TOV, 50.3 FG%, 27.6 3P%, 83.2 FT%
The playoff-contending Milwaukee Bucks of the 1980s were built slowly, piece by piece until the Bucks could field a team with a shot at a title. While they never did make it back to the big game after Abdul-Jabbar was traded, they produced an entire decade of excellent basketball where they were in the hunt to win the East every season.
Moncrief is the player who drove that success, playing 10 straight seasons for the Bucks. Milwaukee made the playoffs in every single one of those seasons, reaching the conference finals three times and only once failing to win a playoff series. Sidney Moncrief never missed the postseason in his entire career.
The 6'3″ guard represented the Bucks in the All-Star Game on five different occasions, and was First or Second Team All-NBA and All-Defense those same five seasons. Moncrief showed up on MVP ballots throughout that stretch, finishing fourth in 1983. In 1981, he rated out as the top player in offensive rating.
That is to say, at the same time Sidney Moncrief was being award All-Defense honors, he was one of the league's very best offensive players. That level of two-way play is not only what kept the Bucks in contention year after year, it pushed Moncrief to this level in the Milwaukee franchise rankings, just behind the obvious No. 1.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (C) – No. 1 pick in 1969 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Bucks): 467 GP, 30.4 PPG, 15.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 3.4 BPG, 54.7 FG%, 69.5 FT%
When the Milwaukee Bucks first entered the league, they were obviously light on talent. This resulted in a porous first season and the right to pick first in the 1969 NBA Draft — thanks to winning a coin flip against the Phoenix Suns. The yield of that fateful coin flip was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then named Lew Alcindor, who went on to become not only the best player in Milwaukee history but perhaps in NBA history as well.
Abdul-Jabbar had one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history, putting up a higher win shares total (13.8) than any non-Jabbar Buck ever would in a single season. After improving their win total by 29 games, Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks went to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing. Next season another 10 wins and an NBA title came Milwaukee's way.
Not only was the 1971 title the only one in franchise history, it was the fastest title for an expansion team across North American sports, as the Bucks won at the conclusion of just their third season in existence. Milwaukee swept the Washington Bullets to claim the crown.
Kareem was an absolute monster down low, scoring with a variety of moves including his patented "Sky Hook" that was nigh un-blockable. While his career as a whole is a picture of longevity, in Milwaukee Kareem was young and filled with energy. He put up over 30 points per game for his entire Bucks career to go along with 15.3 rebounds per game.
In the era of accolades, no player in the history of the league is so weighed down by accomplishments. Kareem made the All-Star Game for a mind-numbing 18 years, 15 of which he paired with All-NBA accolades. Six of times he went wearing Bucks colors — each of the six seasons he spent in Milwaukee.
While with the Bucks, Kareem won three of his six MVP awards, and six straight All-Defense acknowledgments. Despite playing fewer seasons and games with the Bucks than anyone else on this list (sans active players), his value was tremendous, making the Bucks a true contender.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the current leader for points scored over the course of a career, and even with increased longevity it seems unlikely he will be overtaken anytime soon. His tremendous career began in Milwaukee, and he is currently the only Bucks great originally drafted by the team to reach the Hall of Fame. His impact in and out of Milwaukee is incredible and worth recognizing.
His place at the top of this list is unquestionable. He is the greatest Milwaukee Buck draft pick of all time.
