This is a lie.
I don’t intend it to be, but it is—or at least it will be. How can one stay true under the test of time? After all, memory is as fickle as a five-year-old’s latest “favourite.” But I will try my best. That I can promise.
First, close your eyes. Inhale. Attune yourself with your NBA past. Smell your old SLAM Magazine collection if you have to; breathe in the bibliosmia. Or perhaps it’s an old jersey, hidden away in the attic or garage or deep within your closet.
Now visualise. Are the corners or numbers tattered? The colours faded? More importantly, what name(s) are printed for you to rediscover?
Sink. Into yesteryear.
The Premise
Earlier this offseason, when the Bucks announced they’d added T.J. Ford to Taylor Jenkins’ coaching staff, I did just that. Sank. And the idea has since meandered in my consciousness. You might have picked up on it, seeping out in the form of a Bobby Simmons trip down memory lane. But that didn’t quite cure the itch. This will. Hopefully.
So, I’ve decided to throw it into the ether, a permanent lie (two, actually) for all to see: my favourite role-playing Bucks starting five—and, by extension, my favourite role-playing non-Bucks starting five. And I want you to reciprocate.
The Rules
Every good list needs some parameters. This is no exception. So, here are mine:
Role players only; award winners need not apply. No All-Stars, no All-Defensive Teams honours, no MIPs. Nothin’ (well, maybe All-Rookie honours). Yes, this rules out a lot of players, including some arguably worthy of the “role-playing” label. Still, the rule stands. In my case, it means guys I love—Brook Lopez (All-Star, All-Defensive), Malcolm Brogdon (ROY, 6MOY), Boris Diaw (MIP), and Lamar Odom (6MOY)—are ineligible. Stiff.
Role players move teams often. So, for a player to count as a favourite Buck, they have to have been a favourite while they were on the Bucks. If they weren’t, save them for the non-Bucks team. Of course, only you know the truth (honesty system applies).
Positions count, team construction doesn’t. Players must be selected at positions they actually played—there’s no sneaking Joel “The Thrilla” Przybilla in at the point. But the team makeup itself doesn’t matter. So, no need to worry about spacing or defence or complementary skillsets in this one.
The Lie
Here then, in all of its absolute glory, is the lie: my starting five of favourite role-playing Bucks. Ask me tomorrow and the names might be different (shoutout to Michael Beasley, Jared Dudley, Kendall Marshall…).
Centre: Zaza Pachulia
Milwaukee, WI - FEBRUARY 20: Zaza Pachulia #27 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the game on February 20, 2015 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
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A physical centre, Zaza Pachulia represents so much of what made those early-to-mid-2010s Bucks fun (yes, he was in MKE for a year earlier in his career too). He was tough, a leader, put the team first, and did the dirty work. And while he struggled to finish, recording a true shooting percentage of just 50% in his second stint in Milwaukee, he made others around him better with crafty passing (16.2% assist percentage), sturdy screens, and heady play. Pachulia was the adult in the room for those Bucks squads, leaving an impression on more than just his teammates.
Power Forward: Mirza Teletovic
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 23: Mirza Teletovic #35 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts to a three point shot during a game against the Charlotte Hornets at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on October 23, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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Ersan Ilyasova got serious consideration for this spot and, in all honesty, it was probably the Bucks community’s collective adoration of him that cost him. If that’s a charge on my behalf, so be it. Mirza Teletovic played two seasons for the Bucks following a breakout season off the bench for the Phoenix Suns in 2015-16 (12.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.1 APG; 181 made three-pointers). While he never lived up to those standards for the Bucks—an outcome we’re all too familiar with—I still felt it was a swish every time it left his fingers. He did have that 7/9 three-point barrage against the Sacramento Kings—and always had a spot on my 2k teams—but was unfortunately waived after being sidelined for months with pulmonary emboli (blood clots) in both lungs. Still, when he was hot, he was nuclear.
Small Forward: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
ATLANTA - APRIL 20: Joe Johnson #2 of the Atlanta Hawks has the ball stripped by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks at Philips Arena on April 20, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Who doesn’t love The Prince? A lockdown forward, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute played five seasons with the Bucks, consistently drawing the other team’s toughest assignment—and making life miserable for them. In the post or on the perimeter, I just loved how Mbah a Moute cling-wrapped his opponents (as the image above attests), suffocating them with his length and intensity. If only he had a trey ball…
Shooting Guard: Wes Matthews
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 26: Wesley Matthews #23 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts during the game /smh/ during Round 1 Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2023 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images).
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Speaking of trey balls… The Bucks got Wes Matthews, the Marquette alumnus, on the downside of his career (his age 33, 35, and 37 seasons, to be specific), but he was still a willing archer, even if the arrows struck flesh less often than they used to. And on a team with All-Defensive personnel everywhere—Brook Lopez, Giannis, Eric Bledsoe, Jrue Holiday—Matthews often found a way to look the best. Grit, size, quick feet. Matthews had ‘em all. And he’d get in your chest, too. Unfortunately, his timing wasn’t great—he left the Bucks to join the Los Angeles Lakers following their 2020 championship only to return to the Bucks after their 2021 chip. He’s a champion in my eyes regardless.
Point Guard: T.J. Ford
PORTLAND, OR - DECEMBER 16: T.J. Ford #11 of the Bucks passes the ball around Dale Davis #34 of the Blazers to his teammate Daniel Santiago #15 of the Bucks during the Milwaukee Bucks v Portland Trail Blazers game December 16, 2003 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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I remember first finding out about T.J. Ford in a dog-eared copy of Lindy’s Pro Basketball that I would’ve re-read a million times. A rookie-to-be, he was described as a “waterbug” and it was fitting. Ford was small, lightning fast, and agile, darting from one part of the court to another in the blink of an eye. And he wasn’t afraid to mix it up with the trees, attacking the paint for layups or handoffs for easy baskets. Ford was small in stature, but not in heart—as his return following a severe spinal cord injury attested. How good it is that he’s back with Milwaukee!
There you have it, a permanent list of my favourite Bucks role players. Stay tuned for Part II, where I double down with my favourite non-Bucks role-playing starting five.
Now lie to me.