Moncrief, Sikma compiled some interesting stats

By JERRY TAPP

A pair of former NBA stars with ties to the Milwaukee Bucks, Sidney Moncrief and Jack Sikma, will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night.

Moncrief spent 10 seasons in Milwaukee (1979-80 to 1988-89) while Sikma played in Milwaukee for five seasons (1986-87 to 1990-91) after nine years with Seattle.

Both Moncrief and Sikma had unique careers. Moncrief was a two-way threat as a stellar defensive player (twice winning the league’s defensive Player of the Year Award) who could also score. Sikma was that rare big man who could score, rebound and shoot (he led the league in free throw shooting one year … and he was the first big man who effectively ventured outside to the three-point line).

Here are a handful of stats you may not know about this pair.

• Seven players had 10,000 points, 3,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists, 500 steals and 200 blocks in the 1980’s (1979-80 NBA regular season to 1988-89 season). Both Moncrief and Sikma are on this list. The others: Magic Johnson, Dennis Johnson, Julius Erving, Alex English and Larry Bird. Pretty good company, huh?
• Moncrief tops the Bucks list for most wins in his playing career with the team with 447. Eight players have won 300 or more games with the Bucks in addition to Moncrief: Junior Bridgeman (394), Bob Dandridge (391), Jon McGlocklin (375), Paul Pressey (368), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (331), Brian Winters (32) and Marques Johnson (315).
• The Bucks were one of the best NBA teams in the 80’s in addition to the Lakers, Celtics and 76ers. Moncrief was with the team that whole decade and ranks 10th on the list for most wins of all NBA players in the 1980s (1979-80 season through 1988-89 season). Michael Cooper leads this list with 571 wins. Following Cooper: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (567), Dennis Johnson (540), Robert Parrish (540), Larry Bird (536), Magic Johnson (529), Maurice Cheeks (505), Kevin McHale (501), Moses Malone (469) and Moncrief (447).
• Moncrief is one of seven players to win a NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in a season where he averaged 20 or more points (he did it twice; one of only four players to do so). He won the honor in 1982-83 and averaged 22.5 points per game, and won it in 1983-84 when he tallied 20.9 points per game. The other six players to win the league Defensive Player of the Year Award in a season where they averaged at least 20 or more points per game: Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Dwight Howard, Alonzo Mourning and Kawhi Leonard.
• Sikma is one of only six players 6’10” or taller (Sikma was listed as 6’11”) to have a career free throw percentage of .840 or higher (minimum of 500 career free throw attempts). The list: Dirk Nowitzki (.879), Danilo Gallinari (.871), Ryan Anderson (.854), Jack Sikma (.849), Mike Gminski (.843) and Danny Ferry (.840).
• Sikma is one of 25 players in league history who had 6,400 points and 3,700 rebounds in the league after age 30.
• Sikma is one of only five players in league history to have over 10,000 career rebounds and make 200 or more career three-pointers. The five: Dirk Nowitzki (11,489-1,982), Charles Barkley (12,546-538), Shawn Marion (10101-791), Sikma (10,816-203) and Bill Laimbeer (10,400-202).
• Sikma is one of 24 players in NBA history to have 1,000 career steals and 1,000 career blocked shots. If we add 10,000 career rebounds to that stat, he is one of only 14; if we add 10,000 career points to that stat, he is one of only 13 players is league history to have 1,000 career steals, 1,000 career blocked shots, 10,000 career rebounds and 10,000 career points.
• Sikma was 203-for-618 in three-point attempts in his career (a three-point shooting percentage of .328). He was the first player 6’11” or taller to attempt 200 or more three-pointers in a season and the first player 6’11” or taller to attempt 100 or more three-pointers in three consecutive seasons. He is one of 23 players in league history 6’11” or taller to have a career three-point shooting percentage over .325 (minimum of 600 three-point attempts to qualify).

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