3 Best Milwaukee Bucks Draft Picks

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Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 15, 2018.
(Wikimedia Commons/Keith Allison)
Anatoly Pimentel @AnatolyPimentel Oct 02, 2023, 4:21 PM
  • Hereโ€™s a list of the best Milwaukee Bucks picks in franchise history.
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leads the list of players Milwaukee selected through the draft.
  • Other Bucks players included in the list are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Sidney Moncrief.

The Milwaukee Bucks are the sixth-winningest NBA franchise in history with two titles, tied with the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets. They lifted the Larry Oโ€™Brien Championship Trophy in 1971 and 2021 because of the players they selected in the draft that boosted their NBA championship odds.

Players like Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, Glen Robinson, Brandon Jennings, Malcolm Brogdon, and Bob Dandridge have significantly contributed to the franchiseโ€™s success. However, three superstars have emerged, leading the team to consistent contention in the league and the promised land. Find out the three best Milwaukee Bucks draft picks below.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

First on the list is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was drafted as the number one overall pick in 1969. The 7-foot-2 center out of UCLA was hailed as one of the greatest Milwaukee Bucks players in history and one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In his first year in the league, Abdul-Jabbar averaged a double-double of 28.8 points and 14.5 rebounds to win the Rookie of the Year award in 1970.

Before โ€œThe Big Aโ€ demanded a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975 because of his cultural needs, he won the Bucks a title in 1971 and bagged the Finals MVP. Abdul-Jabbar also won three league MVPs for Milwaukee in 1971, 1972, and 1974, thus representing them in six NBA All-Stars Games. The master of the hook shot finished his Milwaukee career with 30.4 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 467 games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

When the Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo as their 15th overall pick in 2013, fans and pundits were skeptical about his potential, but the organization still bet on him, and it paid them a tremendous amount of dividends. The 7-foot forward out of Greece became the franchiseโ€™s cornerstone and worked his way to superstardom. Antetokounmpoโ€™s breakout season happened in 2017 when he won the Most Improved Player award and played his first NBA All-Star Game.

From then on, he has improved every season and piled up the accolades, winning back-to-back league MVP awards in 2019 and 2020, bagging the Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, and being selected as an NBA All-Star starter for six straight seasons. The โ€œGreek Freakโ€™sโ€ biggest achievement for Milwaukee was the 2021 NBA title, where he spearheaded the teamโ€™s campaign and, in the process, secured the NBA Finals honor.

Sidney Moncrief

Completing the list of the three best Milwaukee Bucks draft picks is Sidney Moncrief, who was drafted as the number five pick in 1979. After the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era, Moncrief became the star player in Milwaukee, spearheading the teamโ€™s campaign in the 1980s. Like Antetokounmpo, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard out of Arkansas worked his way to stardom and made a breakout season in 1982.

Moncrief appeared in his first NBA All-Star Game in 1982 and was included in the All-NBA 2nd Team. Since that coming out party, โ€œSid the Squidโ€ won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1983 and 1984, named to the All-NBA 1st Team in 1983, and four more NBA All-Star Games from 1983 to 1986. In 10 seasons with Milwaukee, Moncrief racked up an average of 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.

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About the Author

Anatoly Pimentel

Read More @AnatolyPimentel

Anatoly Pimentel is an NBA and MMA writer previously featured in ASEAN Sports, Asian Persuasion MMA, and Overtime Heroics MMA. He graduated from Adamson University with a B.A in Communication and is a Web Content Writer for BetMGM.

Anatoly Pimentel is an NBA and MMA writer previously featured in ASEAN Sports, Asian Persuasion MMA, and Overtime Heroics MMA. He graduated from Adamson University with a B.A in Communication and is a Web Content Writer for BetMGM.