2021–22 Milwaukee Bucks season
NBA professional basketball team season
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The 2021–22 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 54th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Bucks entered the season as defending champions after winning the 2021 NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns in the previous season in six games as the first team since the 2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers to come back after trailing 2–0.[1]
| 2021–22 Milwaukee Bucks season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Mike Budenholzer |
| General manager | Jon Horst |
| Owners | |
| Arena | Fiserv Forum |
| Results | |
| Record | 51–31 (.622) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Central) Conference: 3rd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Conference semifinals (lost to Celtics 3–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Bally Sports Wisconsin |
| Radio | WTMJ |
On August 20, 2021, the NBA announced that the regular season for the league would begin October 19, 2021 and would return to the normal 82-game schedule for the first time since the 2018–19 season. The Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls in the first round in five games, but lost to the eventual Conference champion Boston Celtics in seven games in the conference semifinals, in their third playoff matchup in five seasons.[2]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | School/Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 31 | Isaiah Todd | Power forward |  United States |
NBA G League Ignite |
The Bucks had one second-round pick entering the draft; it originally belonged to the Houston Rockets through a March 2021 trade.[3] In exchange, they had traded away their own original first-round selection, a move triggered by Houston holding a more favorable second-round draft position than the Philadelphia 76ers after clinching the worst record of the previous season. The Bucks had also traded their original second-round selection to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018 and eventually used by the Indiana Pacers in the draft.[4]
They would use their only selection at the start of the second round to select power forward Isaiah Todd from the recently created NBA G League Ignite franchise, though they would later trade Todd away to Indiana, who in turn traded him to the Washington Wizards.
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Standings
Division
| Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Milwaukee Bucks | 51 | 31 | .622 | – | 27–14 | 24–17 | 12–4 | 82 |
| x – Chicago Bulls | 46 | 36 | .561 | 5.0 | 27–14 | 19–22 | 10–6 | 82 |
| pi − Cleveland Cavaliers | 44 | 38 | .537 | 7.0 | 25–16 | 19–22 | 10–6 | 82 |
| Indiana Pacers | 25 | 57 | .305 | 26.0 | 16–25 | 9–32 | 2–14 | 82 |
| Detroit Pistons | 23 | 59 | .280 | 28.0 | 13–28 | 10–31 | 6–10 | 82 |
Conference
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Miami Heat * | 53 | 29 | .646 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Boston Celtics * | 51 | 31 | .622 | 2.0 | 82 |
| 3 | y – Milwaukee Bucks * | 51 | 31 | .622 | 2.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x – Philadelphia 76ers | 51 | 31 | .622 | 2.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Toronto Raptors | 48 | 34 | .585 | 5.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Chicago Bulls | 46 | 36 | .561 | 7.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x − Brooklyn Nets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 8 | pi − Cleveland Cavaliers | 44 | 38 | .537 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 9 | x − Atlanta Hawks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 10.0 | 82 |
| 10 | pi − Charlotte Hornets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 10.0 | 82 |
| 11 | New York Knicks | 37 | 45 | .451 | 16.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Washington Wizards | 35 | 47 | .427 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Indiana Pacers | 25 | 57 | .305 | 28.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Detroit Pistons | 23 | 59 | .280 | 30.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Orlando Magic | 22 | 60 | .268 | 31.0 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2021 preseason game log Total: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
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| 2020–21 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
Playoffs
| 2022 playoff game log Total: 7–5 (home: 3–3; road: 4–2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First Round: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
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Conference Semifinals: 3–4 (home: 1–2; road: 2–2)
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| 2022 playoff schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
| 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 |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Portis | 72 | 59 | 28.2 | .479 | .393 | .752 | 9.1 | 1.2 | .7 | .7 | 14.6 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 67 | 67 | 32.9 | .553 | .293 | .722 | 11.6 | 5.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 29.9 |
| Jrue Holiday | 67 | 64 | 33.0 | .501 | .411 | .761 | 4.5 | 6.8 | 1.6 | .4 | 18.3 |
| Khris Middleton | 66 | 66 | 32.4 | .443 | .373 | .890 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 1.2 | .3 | 20.1 |
| Grayson Allen | 66 | 61 | 27.3 | .448 | .409 | .865 | 3.4 | 1.5 | .7 | .3 | 11.1 |
| Pat Connaughton | 65 | 19 | 26.0 | .458 | .395 | .833 | 4.2 | 1.3 | .9 | .2 | 9.9 |
| Jordan Nwora | 62 | 13 | 19.1 | .403 | .348 | .837 | 3.6 | 1.0 | .4 | .3 | 7.9 |
| George Hill | 54 | 17 | 23.2 | .429 | .306 | .919 | 2.9 | 2.2 | .8 | .1 | 6.2 |
| Wesley Matthews | 49 | 14 | 20.4 | .395 | .338 | .786 | 1.9 | .7 | .5 | .2 | 5.1 |
| Thanasis Antetokounmpo | 48 | 6 | 9.9 | .547 | .143 | .630 | 2.1 | .5 | .3 | .3 | 3.6 |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | 41 | 3 | 9.9 | .496 | .423 | .818 | 2.0 | .5 | .2 | .2 | 3.8 |
| Rodney Hood† | 39 | 0 | 14.9 | .351 | .300 | .929 | 1.7 | .8 | .3 | .1 | 3.3 |
| Jevon Carter† | 20 | 2 | 17.7 | .506 | .558 | 1.000 | 2.2 | 2.5 | .5 | .2 | 5.6 |
| Semi Ojeleye† | 20 | 0 | 15.4 | .257 | .268 | .769 | 2.9 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 2.9 |
| Serge Ibaka† | 19 | 2 | 17.8 | .519 | .351 | .800 | 5.3 | .7 | .2 | .4 | 7.0 |
| Lindell Wigginton | 19 | 0 | 10.5 | .426 | .346 | .543 | 1.3 | 1.2 | .3 | .1 | 4.2 |
| DeMarcus Cousins† | 17 | 5 | 16.9 | .466 | .271 | .816 | 5.8 | 1.1 | .9 | .5 | 9.1 |
| Donte DiVincenzo† | 17 | 0 | 20.1 | .331 | .284 | .852 | 3.5 | 1.7 | .6 | .2 | 7.2 |
| Justin Robinson† | 17 | 0 | 11.6 | .316 | .270 | 1.000 | .8 | 1.2 | .5 | .0 | 2.8 |
| Brook Lopez | 13 | 11 | 22.9 | .466 | .358 | .870 | 4.1 | .5 | .6 | 1.2 | 12.4 |
| Javonte Smart† | 13 | 1 | 12.3 | .256 | .222 | .833 | 1.5 | 1.1 | .3 | .2 | 2.4 |
| Georgios Kalaitzakis† | 9 | 0 | 5.3 | .455 | .500 | .444 | .9 | .0 | .1 | .1 | 1.8 |
| DeAndre' Bembry† | 8 | 0 | 9.6 | .375 | 1.4 | .8 | .3 | .0 | .8 | ||
| Greg Monroe† | 5 | 0 | 14.0 | .500 | .556 | 4.2 | .4 | .6 | .4 | 5.4 | |
| Langston Galloway† | 3 | 0 | 16.3 | .077 | .000 | 3.3 | 2.3 | .3 | .0 | .7 | |
| Rayjon Tucker† | 2 | 0 | 21.0 | .714 | 1.000 | .667 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 1.5 | .0 | 7.5 |
| Javin DeLaurier | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | |||
| Jeff Dowtin† | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Luke Kornet† | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | .000 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jrue Holiday | 12 | 12 | 38.6 | .379 | .316 | .839 | 5.6 | 6.5 | 1.8 | .6 | 19.1 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 12 | 12 | 37.3 | .491 | .220 | .679 | 14.2 | 6.8 | .7 | 1.3 | 31.7 |
| Wesley Matthews | 12 | 12 | 28.8 | .391 | .400 | .667 | 3.1 | 1.2 | .8 | .3 | 6.2 |
| Brook Lopez | 12 | 12 | 27.7 | .490 | .214 | .913 | 5.9 | .7 | .5 | 1.5 | 10.6 |
| Grayson Allen | 12 | 5 | 25.4 | .451 | .396 | .636 | 2.9 | 1.3 | .7 | .3 | 8.3 |
| Bobby Portis | 12 | 5 | 24.8 | .417 | .298 | .773 | 10.0 | .8 | .4 | .3 | 10.6 |
| Pat Connaughton | 12 | 0 | 26.5 | .477 | .391 | 1.000 | 4.3 | .9 | .4 | .3 | 9.5 |
| Jevon Carter | 11 | 0 | 11.5 | .474 | .429 | 1.000 | 1.5 | .9 | .7 | .0 | 2.1 |
| Thanasis Antetokounmpo | 8 | 0 | 2.5 | .667 | .333 | .5 | .1 | .1 | .0 | .6 | |
| Jordan Nwora | 8 | 0 | 2.5 | .222 | .000 | .000 | .4 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .5 |
| Rayjon Tucker | 8 | 0 | 2.4 | .333 | .000 | .4 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .3 | |
| Luca Vildoza | 7 | 0 | 2.4 | .333 | .200 | .3 | .6 | .3 | .0 | .7 | |
| Serge Ibaka | 6 | 0 | 3.7 | .250 | .000 | .500 | 1.7 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.5 |
| George Hill | 5 | 0 | 15.2 | .200 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.2 | .6 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 |
| Khris Middleton | 2 | 2 | 36.0 | .417 | .429 | 1.000 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 1.5 | .0 | 14.5 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Bucks only.
Transactions
Trades
| July 30, 2021[5] | To Milwaukee Bucks Draft rights to Sandro Mamukelashvili (No. 54) Draft rights to Georgios Kalaitzakis (No. 60) 2024 second-round pick 2026 second-round pick |
To Indiana Pacers Draft rights to Isaiah Todd (No. 31) |
| August 7, 2021[6] | To Milwaukee Bucks Grayson Allen |
To Memphis Grizzlies Sam Merrill 2024 second-round pick 2026 second-round pick |
Free agency
Re-signed
| Player | Signed |
|---|---|
| Bobby Portis[7] | August 6 |
| Thanasis Antetokounmpo[8] | August 14 |
Additions
| Player | Signed | Former Team |
|---|---|---|
| George Hill[9] | August 6 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Rodney Hood[9] | August 6 | Toronto Raptors |
| Semi Ojeleye[9] | August 6 | Boston Celtics |
| Justin Robinson[10] | September 15 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Javin DeLaurier[11] | September 27 |  Niagara River Lions |
| Tremont Waters[11] | September 27 | Boston Celtics |
| Elijah Bryant[12] | September 29 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Johnny O'Bryant[12] | September 29 |  Türk Telekom B.K. |
Subtractions
| Player | Left | New Team |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Teague[b] | August 6 | N/a |
| Axel Toupane[b] | August 6 | N/a |
| P. J. Tucker[13] | August 7 | Miami Heat |
| Bryn Forbes[14] | August 25 | San Antonio Spurs |
| Mamadi Diakite[15] | September 26 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Elijah Bryant[16] | September 26 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Justin Jackson[17] | October 16 | Dallas Mavericks |