1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks season
The 1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks season was the third season for the Bucks. Milwaukee posted a 66–16 record in only its third year of existence, and its second since getting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. [1] A big part of the championship season was the acquisition of "The Big O", Oscar Robertson. Other role players on the Bucks included players such as Bob Dandridge (18.4 ppg) and Jon McGlocklin (15.8 ppg), power forward Greg Smith and key reserves Lucius Allen, Bob Boozer and Dick Cunningham completing the nucleus.
Offseason
On April 21, 1970, the Bucks traded two young players, Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk, to the Cincinnati Royals for 10-year veteran guard Oscar Robertson. [1]
Draft picks
| Round |
Player |
School/Club Team |
| 1 |
Gary Freeman |
Oregon State |
| 2 |
Bill Zopf |
Duquesne |
| 3 |
Marvin Winkler |
SW Louisiana |
| 4 |
Virgle Fredricks |
Drury |
| 5 |
Mike Grosso |
Louisville |
| 6 |
Willy Watson |
Oklahoma City |
| 7 |
John Rinka |
Kenyon |
| 8 |
Jim Samo |
Northwestern |
| 9 |
Joe Hamilton |
North Texas State |
| 10 |
Bob Seemer |
Georgia Tech |
[2]
Roster
Depth chart
Regular season
In only his second pro season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) led the league in scoring at 31.7 ppg, ranked second in field goal percentage at .577 and fourth in rebounding at 16.0 rpg. [1] Newly arrived Oscar Robertson turned 32 early in the 1970-71 season, and was past his prime when he came to Milwaukee, but his versatile skills and experience provided a leadership role for the Bucks. Robertson had never won a championship and his desire to win seemed to inspire Abdul-Jabbar and unite the rest of the Bucks. Robertson ranked third in the league in assists at 8.3 apg and was the Bucks' No. 2 scorer at 19.4 ppg. [1]
Season Standings
Season Schedule
November
| Game |
Date |
Opponent |
Score |
Record |
| 1 |
Oct 17, 1970 |
@ Atlanta Hawks |
107-98 |
1-0 |
| 2 |
Oct 20, 1970 |
@ Detroit Pistons |
114-115 |
1-1 |
[3]
Player stats
| Player |
Games Played |
Minutes |
Points |
Assists |
Field Goals |
Rebounds |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
82 |
3288 |
2596 |
272 |
1063 |
1311 |
| Oscar Robertson |
81 |
3194 |
1569 |
668 |
592 |
462 |
[4]
Playoffs
- Won NBA Western Conference Semifinals (4-1) over San Francisco Warriors [4]
- Won NBA Western Conference Finals (4-1) over Los Angeles Lakers [4]
NBA Finals
| Game |
Date |
Home Team |
Result |
Road Team |
| Game 1 |
April 21 |
Milwaukee |
98-88 |
Baltimore |
| Game 2 |
April 25 |
Baltimore |
83-102 |
Milwaukee |
| Game 3 |
April 28 |
Milwaukee |
107-99 |
Baltimore |
| Game 4 |
April 30 |
Baltimore |
106-118 |
Milwaukee |
Bucks win series 4-0
Awards and Records
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Scoring Champion
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA MVP
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Finals MVP
See also
References
- ^ a b c d NBA.com: All-Time Finals Challenge: 1971 Bucks
- ^ Milwaukee Bucks (1968 - ) 1970 Stats, History, Awards and More
- ^ Milwaukee Bucks 1970-71 Game Log and Scores
- ^ a b c 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com
|
|
|
| 1960s |
1968–69 |
|
|
| 1970s |
|
|
| 1980s |
1979–80 | 1980–81 | 1981–82 | 1982–83 | 1983–84 | 1984–85 | 1985–86 | 1986–87 | 1987–88 | 1988–89 |
|
| 1990s |
|
|
| 2000s |
|
|
| 2010s |
|
|
| Note |
Bold: Championship season
|
|