1969–70 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1969–70 Milwaukee Bucks season was the second season for the Milwaukee Bucks. Led by the heralded rookie center Lew Alcindor, they finished with a 56–26 record, enough for second place in the Eastern Division. After beating the Philadelphia 76ers 4–1 in the Eastern semifinals, they lost to the eventual champions New York Knicks in five games.

1969–70 Milwaukee Bucks season
Head coachLarry Costello
General managerJohn E. Erickson
OwnersMilwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc. (Milwaukee Pro)
ArenaMilwaukee Arena
Results
Record56–26 (.683)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finishDivision finals
(lost to Knicks 1–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Draft picks

After a 27–55 record in their inaugural NBA season, the Bucks won a coin toss over the Phoenix Suns to give them the right to select first overall in the 1969 NBA draft.[1] Their designated selection had long been a foregone conclusion: UCLA Bruins center Lew Alcindor. However, Alcindor was also selected first overall by the New York Nets in the competing American Basketball Association's entry draft, which triggered a bidding war for Alcindor's services. He eventually opted for the Bucks' five-year $1.4 million offer over a much more lucrative $3.2 million offer from the Nets,[2] preferring the established NBA over a new and struggling ABA.

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
11Lew AlcindorC United StatesUCLA
217Bob GreacenF United StatesRutgers
331Skeeter SwiftG United StatesEast Tennessee State
445Bob DandridgeF United StatesNorfolk State
673John ArthursG United StatesTulane

Roster
1969–70 Milwaukee Bucks roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
C 33 Alcindor, Lew 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 225 lb (102 kg) UCLA
PF 50 Chappell, Len 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Wake Forest
SG 16 Crawford, Freddie 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 189 lb (86 kg) St. Bonaventure
C 19 Cunningham, Dick 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Murray State
SF 10 Dandridge, Bob 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Norfolk State
F 18 Greacen, Bob 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 206 lb (93 kg) Rutgers
SG 14 McGlocklin, Jon 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Indiana
PG 21 Robinson, Flynn 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Wyoming
PG 5 Rodgers, Guy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Temple
F 35 Smith, Don 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Iowa State
PF 4 Smith, Greg 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Western Kentucky
G 3 Williams, Sam 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Iowa
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings
Eastern Division
 W L PCT GB
x-New York Knicks 6022.732–
x-Milwaukee Bucks 5626.6834
x-Baltimore Bullets 5032.61010
x-Philadelphia 76ers 4240.51218
Cincinnati Royals 3646.43924
Boston Celtics 3448.41526
Detroit Pistons 3151.37829

Record vs. opponents
1969–70 NBA Records
Team ATL BAL BOS CHI CIN DET LAL MIL NYK PHI PHO SDR SFW SEA
Atlanta —2–46–05–23–33–34–33–34–23–32–44–25–24–2
Baltimore 4–2—5–25–14–35–24–23–31–53–43–36–02–45–1
Boston 0–62–5—3–33–34–32–41–64–32–42–44–25–12–4
Chicago 2–51–53–3—3–33–34–24–20–63–35–23–44–24–3
Cincinnati 3–33–43–33–3—4–22–42–52–54–33–34–22–41–5
Detroit 3–32–53–43–32–4—3–31–61–61–53–33–33–33–3
Los Angeles 3–42–44–22–44–23–3—3–32–44–23–45–25–26–0
Milwaukee 3–33–36–12–45–26–13–3—2–45–26–06–04–25–1
New York 2–45–13–46–05–26–14–24–2—5–26–05–15–14–2
Philadelphia 3–34–34–23–33–45–12–42–52–5—4–24–26–00–6
Phoenix 4–23–34–22–53–33–34–30–60–62–4—7–03–34–3
San Diego 2–40–62–44–32–43–32–50–61–52–40–7—5–24–2
San Francisco 2–54–21–52–44–23–32–52–41–50–63–32–5—3–4
Seattle 2–41–54–23–45–13–30–61–52–46–03–42–44–3—

Game log
1969–70 game log
Total: 56–26 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0; neutral: 0–0)
October: 6–3 (home: 2–1; road: 4–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
1October 18, 1969Detroit W 119–110 Milwaukee Arena 1–0
2October 19, 1969Seattle W 130–106 Milwaukee Arena 2–0
3October 22, 1969@ San Diego W 115–102 San Diego Arena 3–0
4October 24, 1969@ Los Angeles L 112–123 The Forum 3–1
5October 25, 1969@ San Francisco L 104–118 San Francisco Civic Auditorium 3–2
6October 26, 1969@ Phoenix W 119–99 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 4–2
November: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
December: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
January: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
February: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
March: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
1969–70 schedule

Playoffs
1970 playoff game log
Division semifinals: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 March 25 Philadelphia W 125–118 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (36) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (20) Bob Dandridge (6) University of Wisconsin Field House
9,686		 1–0
2 March 27 Philadelphia L 105–112 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) Bob Dandridge (12) Bob Dandridge (7) University of Wisconsin Field House
9,686		 1–1
3 March 30 @ Philadelphia W 156–120 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (17) Flynn Robinson (14) Spectrum
15,244		 2–1
4 April 1 @ Philadelphia W 118–111 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) Greg Smith (19) Bob Dandridge (7) Spectrum
14,206		 3–1
5 April 3 Philadelphia W 115–106 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (46) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (25) Bob Dandridge (8) University of Wisconsin Field House
12,868		 4–1
Division finals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 April 11 @ New York L 102–110 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (35) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5) Madison Square Garden
19,500		 0–1
2 April 13 @ New York L 111–112 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (23) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (11) Madison Square Garden
19,500		 0–2
3 April 17 New York W 101–96 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (31) Bob Dandridge (8) Milwaukee Arena
10,746		 1–2
4 April 19 New York L 105–117 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38) Abdul-Jabbar, Smith (9) Flynn Robinson (7) Milwaukee Arena
10,746		 1–3
5 April 20 @ New York L 96–132 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (27) Zaid Abdul-Aziz (12) Guy Rodgers (6) Madison Square Garden
19,500		 1–4
1970 schedule

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season
Player GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PF PPG
Zaid Abdul-Aziz 8020.543.464.37.50.82.17.4
Lew Alcindor 8243.151.865.314.54.13.528.8
John Arthurs 113.2
Len Chappell 758.3
Freddie Crawford 777.6
Dick Cunningham 602.1
Bob Dandridge 813.2
Bob Greacen 412.6
Jon McGlocklin 8217.6
Flynn Robinson 8121.8
Guy Rodgers 643.2
Greg Smith 829.8
Sam Williams 112.5

Playoffs
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Zaid Abdul-Aziz 104.3
Lew Alcindor 1035.2
Len Chappell 97.7
Freddie Crawford 108.8
Dick Cunningham 82.6
Bob Dandridge 1016.3
Bob Greacen 12.0
Jon McGlocklin 1014.9
Flynn Robinson 1012.8
Guy Rodgers 72.4
Greg Smith 1010.7
Sam Williams 24.0

Awards and honors
  • Lew Alcindor, NBA Rookie of the Year
  • Lew Alcindor, NBA All-Rookie Team
  • Lew Alcindor, NBA All-Star Game Appearance

Notes

    References
    1. "Tails-Up Call on Coin Toss Wins First Basketball Pick for Bucks". The New York Times. March 20, 1969.
    2. "Alcindor Rejects A.B.A.'s $3.2-Million Offer and Will Sign With Bucks". The New York Times. March 30, 1969.
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