1991–92 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1991–92 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 24th season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association.

Season summary

Off-season During the off-season, the Bucks signed free agent and former All-Star forward Moses Malone.

Regular season With the addition of Malone, the Bucks got off to an 8–9 start to the regular season, as head coach Del Harris resigned and was replaced with assistant coach Frank Hamblen as an interim coach. Under Hamblen, the Bucks played around .500 in winning percentage for the first half of the season, holding a 22–24 record at the All-Star break. However, the team struggled posting an 11-game losing streak between March and April, and lost 14 of their final 15 games of the season. The Bucks finished tied in last place in the Central Division with a disappointing 31–51 record, and failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1978–79 season, ending a 12-year playoff streak.

Malone averaged 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, while off the bench, sixth man Dale Ellis led the Bucks with 15.7 points per game and 138 three-point field goals, and Jay Humphries provided the team with 14.0 points, 6.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. In addition, Alvin Robertson averaged 12.3 points, 4.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game, while Frank Brickowski provided with 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and Fred Roberts contributed 9.6 points per game. Off the bench, Larry Krystkowiak averaged 9.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while Jeff Grayer contributed 9.0 points per game, Brad Lohaus provided with 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, Danny Schayes averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and Lester Conner contributed 3.5 points, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

The Bucks finished eleventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 635,515 at the Bradley Center during the regular season.

Aftermath Following the season, Ellis was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team trade, while Humphries and Krystkowiak were both traded to the Utah Jazz on draft day. Meanwhile, Grayer signed as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors, Conner was released to free agency, and Hamblen was fired as head coach.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 18 Kevin Brooks SF Southwestern Louisiana 2 45 Bobby Phills SG Southern

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot

Game log

| 1 || November 1, 1991 || @ Detroit | W 109—99 |Dale Ellis (24)

| The Palace of Auburn Hills21,454 | 1–0 |- | 2 || November 2, 1991 || Chicago | W 109–107 |Alvin Robertson (29) |Alvin Robertson (8) |Jay Humphries (9) | Bradley Center18,633 | 2–0 |- | 3 || November 5, 1991 || @ New York | L 85–113 |Dale Ellis, Jay Humphries (14)

| Madison Square Garden15,768 | 2–1 |- | 4 || November 6, 1991 || Golden State | L 114–120 |Jeff Grayer (27)

| Bradley Center14,591 | 2–2 |- | 5 || November 8, 1991 || @ Charlotte | W 125—122 OT |Moses Malone (23) |Brad Lohaus, Moses Malone (8) | | Charlotte Coliseum23,698 | 3–2 |- | 6 || November 9, 1991 || Dallas | W 111–95 |Jay Humphries (24) |Moses Malone (11) | | Bradley Center15,175 | 4–2 |- | 7 || November 11, 1991 || @ Philadelphia | L 99–102

| The Spectrum12,132 | 4–3 |- | 8 || November 12, 1991 || @ Cleveland | L 113–119

| Richfield Coliseum14,267 | 4–4 |- | 9 || November 15, 1991 || @ Chicago | L 101–114

| Chicago Stadium18,686 | 4–5 |- | 10 || November 16, 1991 || Miami | L 116–120 OT

| Bradley Center15,621 | 4–6 |- | 11 || November 19, 1991 || Charlotte | W 127–104

| Bradley Center14,183 | 5–6 |- | 12 || November 21, 1991 || Washington | W 112–87

| Bradley Center14,671 | 6–6 |- | 13 || November 23, 1991 || @ Golden State | L 115–120

| Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena15,025 | 6–7 |- | 14 || November 24, 1991 || @ L. A. Lakers | L 97–102

| Great Western Forum16,820 | 6–8 |- | 15 || November 26, 1991 || @ Portland | L 98–107 OT

| Memorial Coliseum12,888 | 6–9 |- | 16 || November 30, 1991 || Indiana | W 137–119

| Bradley Center14,623 | 7–9

| 17 || December 3, 1991 || L. A. Lakers | W 126–94

| Bradley Center17,739 | 8–9 |- | 18 || December 5, 1991 || New Jersey | L 101–109

| Bradley Center13,884 | 8–10 |- | 19 || December 6, 1991 || @ Indiana | L 106–126

| Market Square Arena10,132 | 8–11 |- | 20 || December 8, 1991 || San Antonio | W 102–83

| Bradley Center14,581 | 9–11 |- | 21 || December 10, 1991 || @ Atlanta | L 104—118

| The Omni10,093 | 9–12 |- | 22 || December 12, 1991 || @ Washington | W 104—97

| Capital Centre7,213 | 10–12 |- | 23 || December 14, 1991 || Minnesota | W 103–92

| Bradley Center14,911 | 11–12 |- | 24 || December 18, 1991 || @ Boston | L 117—131

| Boston Garden14,890 | 11–13 |- | 25 || December 19, 1991 || @ Orlando | W 95—87

| Orlando Arena15,151 | 12–13 |- | 26 || December 21, 1991 || Philadelphia | W 110–97

| Bradley Center15,191 | 13–13 |- | 27 || December 26, 1991 || Cleveland | L 94–111

| Bradley Center16,184 | 13–14 |- | 28 || December 29, 1991 || Houston | W 110–100

| Bradley Center15,191 | 14–14

| 29 || January 2, 1992 || @ Minnesota | W 92—91

| Target Center19,006 | 15–14 |- | 30 || January 3, 1992 || Chicago | W 113–109

| Bradley Center18,633 | 16–14 |- | 31 || January 8, 1992 || Utah | W 99–98

| Bradley Center15,406 | 17–14 |- | 32 || January 10, 1992 || @ New Jersey | L 97—104

| Brendan Byrne Arena9,230 | 17–15 |- | 33 || January 11, 1992 || Sacramento | L 105–106

| Bradley Center17,319 | 17–16 |- | 34 || January 14, 1992 || @ Atlanta | L 88—93

| The Omni9,390 | 17–17 |- | 35 || January 15, 1992 || @ Miami | L 115—134

| Miami Arena15,008 | 17–18 |- | 36 || January 17, 1992 || New York | W 90–85

| Bradley Center15,364 | 18–18 |- | 37 || January 19, 1992 || Orlando | W 108–98

| Bradley Center14,276 | 19–18 |- | 38 || January 21, 1992 || @ Houston | L 107—117

| The Summit12,989 | 19–19 |- | 39 || January 22, 1992 || @ Dallas | L 116—118

| Reunion Arena14,299 | 19–20

Player statistics

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Dale Ellis 81 11 27.0 46.9 41.9 77.4 3.1 1.3 0.7 0.2 15.7 Moses Malone 82 77 30.6 47.4 37.5 78.6 9.1 1.1 0.9 0.8 15.6 Jay Humphries 71 71 31.8 46.9 29.2 78.3 2.6 6.6 1.7 0.2 14.0 Alvin Robertson 82 79 30.0 43.0 31.9 76.3 4.3 4.4 2.6 0.4 12.3 Frank Brickowski 65 60 23.9 52.4 50.0 76.7 5.3 1.9 0.9 0.4 11.4 Fred Roberts 80 63 21.8 48.2 51.4 74.9 3.2 1.5 0.7 0.5 9.6 79 16 23.4 44.4 0.0 75.7 5.4 1.4 0.7 0.2 9.0 Jeff Grayer 82 11 20.2 44.8 28.8 66.7 3.1 1.8 0.8 0.2 9.0 70 8 15.4 45.0 39.6 65.9 3.6 1.1 0.6 1.0 5.8 Danny Schayes 43 4 16.9 41.7 0.0 77.1 3.9 0.8 0.4 0.4 5.6 Lester Conner 81 9 17.5 43.1 0.0 70.4 2.3 3.6 1.2 0.1 3.5 Steve Henson 50 1 7.7 36.1 47.9 79.3 0.8 1.6 0.3 0.0 3.0 Jerome Lane 2 0 3.0 100.0 0.0 50.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 Dave Popson 5 0 5.2 42.9 0.0 50.0 1.0 0.6 0.4 0.2 1.4

Player statistics citation:

Transactions Trades July 1, 1991Avent to Bucks in 3-way Trade To Milwaukee BucksAnthony Avent To Atlanta HawksBlair Rasmussen1993 2nd round draft pickTo Denver NuggetsKevin Brooks1994 2nd round draft pick

Free agents Player Signed Former teamMoses MaloneJuly 10, 1991Atlanta HawksBilly ThompsonOctober 5, 1991Miami HeatDave PopsonMarch 4, 1992Atlanta Hawks

References

See also 1991-92 NBA season