StaTuesday: Plumlee earns spot in Bucks record books
When the Milwaukee Bucks sent Brandon Knight to the Phoenix Suns in the arcane, three-team deal that brought then-reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams west, Miles Plumlee wasn't exactly considered the centerpiece of the swap.
And for nearly four months things played out that way.
Plumlee was a fixture on the bench the first half of this season, averaging just 7.7 minutes per game and chipping in minimally for the Bucks when called upon.
But when John Henson went down with a lower back injury in late January, Plumlee got his chance.
The sixth-year center saw his minutes climb to nearly 20 per game, including his best performance of the season, an 18-point outing against Miami on March 9 during which he shot 8 of 12.
Now, just a few months after he was reportedly on the trade block, Plumlee is carving out his own niche in Bucks history.
Plumlee's .606 shooting percentage is tops on the Bucks all-time list, beating out Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's .577 performance in 1971 and Bob Lanier's .572 mark from 1984, with an offensive rebound percentage of just 12.6. Plumlee also owns the best 2-point field-goal percentage in franchise history (.606; Eric Mobley in 1994-95 is next at .585) as well as effective field-goal percentage (Mobley .598 and Del Curry -- thank you 3-pointers -- in 1998-99 at .588 are next). Here's a listing of the top field-goal percentage shooters in Bucks history (minimum 30 games played and 10 minutes per game):
Plumlee's true shooting percentage is also near the top of the Bucks' single-season charts, falling just short of Sidney Moncrief's franchise record (min. 30 games, 10 min/game)
Meanwhile, Jerryd Bayless had a season to remember from beyond the arc, with his .437 performance through 52 games checking in at No. 11 on the Bucks' 3-point shooting percentage list.
Greg Monroe had one of the highest Player Efficiency Ratings in Bucks history at 21.8, checking in at No. 17 on a list dominated by Abdul-Jabbar, while Khris Middleton's .888 field-goal percentage ranks No. 20 all-time.
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