# 1974–75 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1974–75 NBA season was the Bucks' seventh season in the NBA. For the first time since 1970, Oscar Robertson was not on the opening day roster. This would be Kareem Abdul Jabbar's last season in Milwaukee before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers following the season.
Just before the start of the regular season, Kareem had privately requested a trade on October 3, 1974, at a dinner meeting in Downtown Milwaukee. His preferred trade destinations were the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. General manager Wayne Embry later stated in 1987, "We asked Kareem if there was dissatisfaction with us and he said, 'no'. He just wanted to be traded from Milwaukee. He said his life style and the life style in Milwaukee were not compatible." With the Knicks failing to trade for Kareem in the 1975 offseason, the Lakers then traded for Kareem on June 16, 1975, in a trade that also sent Walt Wesley to the Lakers and Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters to the Bucks.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 18 | Gary Brokaw | SG | United States | Notre Dame |
| 3 | 54 | Greg McDougald | | United States | Oral Roberts |
| 4 | 72 | Lionel Billingy | F/C | United States | Duquesne |
| 5 | 90 | John Johnson | SF | United States | Denver |
| 6 | 108 | Larry Williams | | United States | Kansas State |
| 7 | 126 | Bob Hornstein | | United States | West Virginia |
| 8 | 144 | Ralph Palamar | | United States | Cameron |
| 9 | 161 | Mike Deane | | United States | SUNY Potsdam |
| 10 | 178 | Bruce Featherston | | United States | Texas State |

## Regular season

With the retirement of Oscar Robertson, the Bucks started the season 1–13 before slowly coming back and after 48 games they were 24-24 and were poised for their 6th straight trip to the postseason, but the Bucks faded down the stretch and missed the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season in 1968–69.

### Season standings

| Midwest Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Chicago Bulls | 47 | 35 | .573 | – | 29–12 | 18–23 | 11–15 |
| x-Kansas City–Omaha Kings | 44 | 38 | .537 | 3 | 29–12 | 15–26 | 17–9 |
| x-Detroit Pistons | 40 | 42 | .488 | 7 | 26–15 | 14–27 | 10–16 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 9 | 25–16 | 13–28 | 14–12 |
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | z-Golden State Warriors | 48 | 34 | .585 | – |
| 2 | y-Chicago Bulls | 47 | 35 | .573 | 1 |
| 3 | x-Kansas City–Omaha Kings | 44 | 38 | .537 | 4 |
| 4 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 43 | 39 | .524 | 5 |
| 5 | x-Detroit Pistons | 40 | 42 | .488 | 8 |
| 6 | Portland Trail Blazers | 38 | 44 | .463 | 10 |
| 6 | Milwaukee Bucks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 10 |
| 8 | Phoenix Suns | 32 | 50 | .390 | 16 |
| 9 | Los Angeles Lakers | 30 | 52 | .366 | 18 |
    z – clinched division title
    y – clinched division title
    x – clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1974–75 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CLE | DET | GSW | HOU | KCO | LAL | MIL | NOJ | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SEA | WAS |
| Atlanta | — | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–5 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–5 |
| Boston | 4–0 | — | 5–4 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 7–2 | 5–3 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
| Buffalo | 3–1 | 4–5 | — | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 5–3 | 6–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 |
| Chicago | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | — | 2–2 | 4–5 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–5 | 3–1 | 3–5 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 |
| Cleveland | 4–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 6–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–5 |
| Detroit | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 5–4 | 2–2 | — | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–6 | 3–1 | 3–6 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 |
| Golden State | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 5–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 5–3 | 4–3 | 1–3 |
| Houston | 5–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–5 |
| Kansas City-Omaha | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 5–4 | 2–2 | 6–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | — | 3–1 | 6–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Los Angeles | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 1–3 | — | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 4–4 | 2–5 | 2–6 | 1–3 |
| Milwaukee | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 3–1 | 6–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–6 | 0–4 | — | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 |
| New Orleans | 5–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–6 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 3–5 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–7 |
| New York | 4–0 | 2–7 | 3–5 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | — | 4–5 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 |
| Philadelphia | 2–2 | 3–5 | 3–6 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 5–4 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 |
| Phoenix | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–5 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–4 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | — | 1–6 | 4–3 | 1–3 |
| Portland | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–5 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 5–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 6–1 | — | 2–6 | 1–3 |
| Seattle | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 6–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 6–2 | — | 1–3 |
| Washington | 5–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 7–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | — |

### Game log

1974–75 game log Total: 38–44 (Home: 1–1; Road: 0–0) :
October: 0–2 (home: 0–2; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
1October 18, 1974Houston
L 101–106
MECCA Arena
0–1
4October 22, 1974Washington
L 96–111
MECCA Arena
1–3 :
November: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord :
December: 1–0 (home: 1–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
30December 22, 1974New Orleans
W 96–76
MECCA Arena
12–18 :
January: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord :
February: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord :
March: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord :
April: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord :
1974–75 schedule :

## Player statistics

Player Statistics :
| Player | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 65 | 42.3 | 51.3 | 76.3 | 14.0 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 30.0 |
| Bob Dandridge | 80 | 37.9 | 47.3 | 80.5 | 6.9 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 19.9 |
| Lucius Allen | 10 | 34.2 | 41.5 | 83.8 | 3.1 | 5.3 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 16.7 |
| Jim Price | 41 | 37.3 | 44.0 | 85.9 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 14.9 |
| George Thompson | 73 | 27.2 | 44.3 | 78.5 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 10.7 |
| Jon McGlocklin | 79 | 23.5 | 49.6 | 87.5 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 9.0 |
| Gary Brokaw | 73 | 22.5 | 45.5 | 68.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 8.1 |
| Cornell Warner | 79 | 31.9 | 45.8 | 68.4 | 10.3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 7.6 |
| Mickey Davis | 75 | 14.4 | 47.9 | 88.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 5.7 |
| Kevin Restani | 76 | 23.1 | 44.0 | 71.4 | 5.3 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 5.4 |
| Ron Williams | 46 | 11.4 | 37.6 | 82.8 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 3.2 |
| Steve Kuberski | 59 | 8.8 | 39.0 | 78.6 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.8 |
| Walt Wesley | 41 | 5.2 | 44.0 | 60.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.1 |
| Terry Driscoll | 11 | 4.7 | 23.1 | 50.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Bob Rule | 1 | 11.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Cunningham | 2 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |

## Awards and records

* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA All-Defensive First Team

## Transactions
### Trades

| October 8, 1974 | To Milwaukee Bucks---- Steve Kuberski | To New Orleans Jazz---- Russ Lee |
| November 8, 1974 | To Milwaukee Bucks---- Jim Price | To Los Angeles Lakers---- Lucius Allen |

### Free agents

| Player | Signed | Former team |
| Bob Rule | July 7, 1974 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Walt Wesley | November 27, 1974 | Washington Bullets |
Subtractions :
| Player | Date signed | New team |
| Curtis Perry | Expansion Draft May 20, 1974 | New Orleans Jazz |
| Terry Driscoll | November 27, 1974 | N/A |