Sidney Moncrief

Sidney Moncrief was the defensive conscience of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1980s — the guard that opposing coaches feared most, the player who defined what the defensive player of the year award meant when it was first given, and the two-way performer who kept Milwaukee relevant in the Magic-Bird era even without a second championship. Selected 5th overall in 1979 out of Arkansas, Moncrief was a five-time All-Star and the first player ever to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in consecutive seasons (1983 and 1984). At 6'4" with a 6'7" wingspan, exceptional lateral quickness, and the physical strength to stay connected through any contact, Moncrief was a defensive weapon that had no contemporary equivalent. His offense complemented the defense flawlessly — he averaged 20+ points per game in three consecutive seasons and was one of the most efficient mid-range scorers of his era. The Bucks never won a championship in Moncrief's tenure, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 1984, 1985, and 1986 and losing each time to the Celtics — a dynasty-era fate that denied Moncrief a ring but never diminished what he built in Milwaukee. #4 in the rafters honors the most complete two-way player in franchise history after Kareem.