How Michael Redd went from warming the bench to being the star of the Milwaukee Bucks

Redd was one of the most feared scorers in the league during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks.

© Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks drafted Michael Redd, the 6'6" shooting guard out of Ohio State with the 43rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Redd made his Milwaukee Bucks debut on November, 2nd 2000, but his rookie season, though, was a forgettable one, as he averaged just 2.2 points in extremely limited action. How limited, you ask? The lefty played in six games and totaled 35 minutes of floor time.

Invisible debut

With established stars Ray Allen and Sam Cassell in the backcourt, Redd had little room to get on the floor as a rookie. He was so buried on the depth chart that he didn't even make his NBA debut until the Bucks' second game of the season — a match against the Houston Rockets. Redd saw over two minutes of action in that game, shot the ball once, and did nothing else as the Bucks fell to the Rockets 115-93.

Redd, though, was determined to make an impact and worked hard to improve his game. The following season, he saw a significant increase in playing time and averaged 11.4 points per game, shooting a blistering 44% from beyond the arc. He'd continue to improve throughout his career, becoming one of the best shooters in the league and eventually being named to the NBA All-Star team in 2004.

Main man

When Ray Allen got traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in 2003, Redd became the Bucks' go-to scorer. And he didn't disappoint, averaging a career-high 26.7 points per game during the 2006-2007 season. That was the high point of a string of six seasons wherein he averaged over 20-points per game.

An ACL tear in 2009 derailed Redd's career, and he could never return to All-Star form. He signed with Phoenix for the 2011-2012 season before hanging his sneakers up. His time with Milwaukee was memorable, as he became one of the best shooters in franchise history.