Vin Baker was a three-time First Team All-MEAC and 1993 MEAC Player of the Year at Hartford and was the eighth Overall Pick in 1993 with Milwaukee as his landing place.  Baker saw a lot of minutes early as a rookie (31.2), and he broke out in his second campaign where he went to his first All-Star Game, averaged a double-double (17.7 Points and 10.3 Rebounds) and led the NBA in Minutes per Game (41.0). 

Baker continued to grow his game and the master of low post scoring put up his best numbers over the next two seasons (21.1 PTS/9.9 RB & 21.0 PTS/10.3 RB) where he again was an All-Star, but also added a Third Team All-NBA Selection in 1996-97.  Baker proved he was an excellent basketball player, but he had little help on the Bucks and never saw any playoff action in Milwaukee.

The struggling Bucks traded him to Seattle, where he had his most complete season in the sport.  An All-Star for the fourth straight year, Baker was also a Second Team All-Star and was eighth in MVP voting.  Baker also had career-highs in PER (20.4) and Win Shares (10.4), and this should have vaulted the Power Forward to the next level, but, alas, there were issues behind the scenes that hindered his growth.

Baker was dealing with alcohol issues that progressively got worse.  He was still a potent player, but at a time when he should have been in his prime, Baker’s stats were declining.  The Sonics traded him to Boston in 2002, but his play got much worse, averaging only 5.2 Points in 2002-03.  He was better the year after, but showed up to practice drunk.  Baker was suspended and then released, but the New York Knicks picked him up, but was largely ineffective in a reserve role.  He played 11 more NBA Games, three with Houston and seven with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Baker became more of a cautionary tale than a superstar.

Pre-2020-21 Rank: #45, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #45, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #46, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #47.

Peak Period: From 2009-10 to 2016-17. Lopez’s peak Period is eight years, as he only played five Games in 2011-12.

If there was a Hall of "Pretty Good," Brook Lopez might be the poster child.  That is the career that he has had thus far, and while he is worthy of being on the fringes of this list, we know he is unlikely to get in.  He is, however, an NBA Champion, and a second Title in 2025 could create a whisper.   

Pre-2020-21 Rank #47, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #40, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #37, Pre-2023-24 Rank: 38.

Peak Period: From 2015-16 to 2021-22

Khris Middleton has been to three All-Star Games, but he was the second option on a Milwaukee Bucks team that won the NBA Championship in 2021.  Not only did he get a ring that year, he also won an Olympic Gold Medal for the United States.  Saying that, he is well over 30, Middleton's only path to the Hall is to win a lot more Titles, and number two could come this year with Milwaukee.  It will have to for any serious shot.

Pre-2019-20 Rank: #19, Pre-2020-21 Rank: #13, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #11, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #11, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #12.

*Peak Period: 2014-15 to 2020-21

When Damian Lillard joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023, it ended the run of one of the best players the Portland Trail Blazers ever had.  In Portland, Dame was a six-time All-NBA Selection (one First Team, four Second Team, and one Third Team), and from 2017-18 to 2020-21, finished in the top eight in MVP voting.  With that said, Lillard could only reach one Western Conference Final, and frustration naturally ensued.

Milwaukee was supposed to be Lillard’s best chance at an NBA Championship, but his pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo did not result in much for year one.  Like Paul George (who is above Lillard by one spot), a title will make the difference between first ballot and a bit of a wait.

Pre-2019-20 Rank: #14, Pre-2020-21 Rank: #12, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #7 Pre-2022-23 Rank: #6, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #5.

*Peak Period: 2017-18 to 2023-24.

You could argue (and we will) that 2023-24 was the most disappointing season of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career.  He was joined by Damian Lillard, arguably the biggest star he ever shared a court with, but Lillard and new Coach Doc Rivers were bounced in the first round and fell well short of expectations. 

Nevertheless, Antetokounmpo is a two-time league MVP and an NBA Champion who will turn 30 this year.  What does that mean?   The “Greek Freak” is in a prime position to add to his lofty resume, and since he is already a first-ballot HOF entrant, the only question is what his 30s will bring.  We would wager that will be an awful lot!

Glenn Robinson is a player whose college career seemingly eclipsed his professional career; but if it did, it isn’t by much.  Robinson was the Player of the Year for Purdue in 1994 after leading the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding and taking the Boilermakers to an Elite 8. Professionally, Robinson had to go to San Antonio late in his career to get that coveted championship as a role player, but lest we forget Robinson was one of the most consistent scorers in the league with the Bucks from the time he was drafted number one overall in 1994 until his departure in 2002.  Sure, there were no finals but the Bucks won many games.  He may have only had two All-Star game appearances but he should have had more as his 20.7 point per game will attest to.  Glenn Robinson had one of the best mid range games ever and was a true superstar at both Purdue and Milwaukee.

Bob Boozer was an unsung and almost forgotten forward who was a two time All-American at Kansas State and a key member of the Milwaukee Bucks championship team run in 1971. Fifteen points a game with eight boards are not incredible but they are solid numbers and his long career should help.  He also sat out the 1959 season playing AAU basketball over the NBA so he could still be eligible for the 60 Olympic Games.  Boozer of course was MVP of the National tournament and led the Peoria Caterpillars to a national championship; that is Hall of Fame worthy isn’t it?

Alvin Robertson may be the best perimeter defender to ever play the game of basketball.  Michael Jordan certainly thought so.  Robertson still leads the league in most steals per game, and is one of a handful of backcourt players to win Defensive Player of the Year.  A four-time All-Star, Robertson wasn’t only about defense as almost 11,000 points can attest.  He was a complete player who averaged 14 points and both 5 assists and boards a game.  However it is the legacy of Alvin Robertson to be known as that of a big guard who could shut down anyone in the league.

Terry Cummings was an All-American at DePaul in the heyday of Demon basketball during the early 80's.  He teamed with the likes of Mark Aguirre and Tyrone Corbin to lead dominant teams that never got over the hump during the NCAA tournament although they always seemed to be seeded number one.  Drafted second in 1982 by the San Diego Clippers, Cummings had a brilliant rookie season averaging 23.7 points and 10.4 rebounds a game and deservedly won Rookie of the Year. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks after the 83-84 season and continued to put up impressive numbers.  Cummings was a consistent twenty point scorer and ten rebound guy for most of his career and was one of the most reliable power forwards in the league. 

Marques Johnson played college basketball at UCLA and was a member of the last championship team of the great Bruin dynasty under legendary coach John Wooden in 1975.  Johnson was a great college player winning the first ever John Wooden college basketball player of the year award in 1977 and gained consensus first team All-American honors.  Selected 3rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, Johnson quickly became a star under Coach Don Nelson.  In his second season he averaged 25.6 points a game which was good for third in the league and earned first team All NBA honors.  Johnson helped the Bucks win 5 straight division titles in the early 80's but they never could get over the hump of beating the dominant Philadelphia 76ers or Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference to make the Finals. 

Playing all but one season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Michael Redd came out of Ohio State with a sweet shot and huge potential. Despite being a late pick in the NBA Draft, Redd would be a prolific scorer for Milwaukee until a severe ACL injury rendered him into a shell of his former self. Redd retired with a Points per Game Average of 19.0 with a PER of 19.7 which while decent, may not be Hall of Fame material; especially since he only made one Post Season NBA All-Star Team.

Sam Cassell may never have been the best player on any team he was on, but didn’t it always seem that as soon as he got to a team, they got better? Cassell was a great locker room guy, a good leader, an efficient passer and a feisty defender. He is the only player in NBA history to play over ten years and win a championship in his first and last campaign. Yet, when you play for eight different squads and only appear on one All Star Team (and again was never the go to player), is he really a Hall of Famer? Probably not, but didn’t you want him on your team?