The Milwaukee Bucks have had plenty of elite-caliber players pass through their organization since their formation in 1968. The all-time Bucks depth chart at small forward is slim, though, with only five players who can claim the right to be considered among the cream of the crop.
These are the top five small forwards in team history.
Junior Bridgeman
Junior Bridgeman played 10 of his 12 seasons in Milwaukee, and he's still to this day an essential part of franchise history as the one who has put on the Bucks jersey the most times ever.
“The Torch” was known for his ability to light it up on teams at a moment's notice, only taking a few shots to ignite for good. Take for example this lights-out performance above against the Denver Nuggets, where Bridgeman scored 22 points while burying 11 of his 14 field goals.
Bridgeman came to Milwaukee in the trade that sent the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers and soon became a staple for a new era of the franchise. He had modest averages of 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 47.8% shooting from the floor.
Bob Dandridge
Bob Dandridge was a three-time All-Star and a reliable knockdown shooter, capable of hitting shots in big moments.
“The Greyhound” was quite a unique complementary player, able to mesh with big stars like Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who were the top contributors during those '70s teams.
A two-time champion (1971, 1978), four-time All-Star (three times in Milwaukee), and a member of the All-Defensive First Team in 1979, Dandridge averaged 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game throughout his nine seasons with Milwaukee. His No. 10 jersey was retired in 2015.
Khris Middleton
Khris Middleton has only played eight seasons with Milwaukee after being acquired in a trade with the Detroit Pistons, but he has rapidly put himself among the best at his position. Middleton's last few seasons saw him ascend to becoming Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s right-hand man and a huge complimentary piece due to his sharpshooting capacity.
In the 2019-20 season, Middleton made Bucks news when he nearly secured a rare 50-40-90 clip, shooting 49.7% from the floor, 41.5% from deep, and 91.6% from the foul line.
This top-of-the-line marksman has averaged 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in his eight seasons with the Bucks. He's bound for even more as he starts to scrape his ceiling as an up-and-coming star in the league.
Glenn Robinson
“Big Dog” was a scoring monster for the Bucks, putting up 20 or more points per game in seven of his eight seasons with the team.
Originally the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, Glenn Robinson showed the league he was ready to put his stamp on history, averaging a studly 21.9 points per game in his rookie season en route to one of the best scoring seasons for a first-year player.
Robinson was an integral part of Milwaukee's “Big Three” with Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, reaching the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals, only to lose in a heartbreaker to MVP Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The forward would get his ring as he made his way out of the league, hooking up with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 to walk away from the game with some hardware after 11 NBA seasons.
A two-time All-Star, Robinson averaged 21.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists during his eight seasons with Milwaukee.
Marques Johnson
Undoubtedly the best small forward in Bucks history. Marques Johnson was a five-time All-Star (four as a member of the Bucks), a member of the All-NBA First Team in 1979, and a member of the Second Team in consequent seasons (1980, 1981).
The third overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, Johnson averaged 20 points in five of his seven seasons with Milwaukee.
Johnson carried the Bucks while other greats like Sidney Moncrief and Paul Pressey were getting their feet wet in the league. Those were the first years of Don Nelson coaching at the NBA level, and Johnson helped him win five straight division titles from 1980-1984.
Johnson was traded alongside Junior Bridgeman (No. 5 in this list) to the Los Angeles Clippers, with whom he played two seasons and change before a neck injury derailed his career. He would make a late comeback during the 1989-90 season with the Golden State Warriors, but he lasted only 10 games in a greatly diminished role.
Johnson averaged 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals through 524 games with the Bucks over seven seasons.
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