Earlier in the week, the Milwaukee Bucks received the awful
news that Jabari Parker suffered a
torn ACL in his left knee and that he’ll be out for at least 12 months. Parker,
in his 3rd year out of Duke, was having the best season of his young
career, averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He was playing
like a borderline all-star and along with Giannis
Antetokounmpo had the Bucks knocking on the door for a playoff spot.
With Parker now done for the season, it will be really tough
for this Bucks team to find a way to make the playoffs. They are already on the
outside looking in in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, a full two games
back of the 25-29 Detroit Pistons, who are in current possession of the 8th
seed. With Parker now out, they’ll have to find a way to play even better
without their #2 scoring option.
If there is anybody who can be expected to take the pressure
off of Antetokounmpo, Greg Monroe, Michael Beasley, and rookie guard Malcolm Brogdon are probably the best
options the Bucks have right now. Monroe is averaging 11 points and 6.7
rebounds per game while Beasley is averaging 8.7 points per game with the
capability of going off every time he steps on the floor. As for Brogdon, he’s averaging 9.2 points per
game, putting together one of the best rookie seasons in the NBA. With Parker
out, Brogdon should get a lot more touches and see his scoring average enter
double digits.
On paper, Khris
Middleton would be the guy for the Bucks to look to with Parker out as he
averaged 18.2 points per game last season. However, he is just returning from a
torn hamstring that he suffered back in October and so it’s not clear when
he’ll be back to full strength. Odds are good he may not be 100% until next
season, which is why it’s really on Monroe, Beasley, and Brogdon to step up.
What’s sad is that this Bucks team was trending upwards
until Jabari Parker went down. With Khris Middleton returning, the Bucks were
hoping to give their lineup a nice boost but with Parker going down, those
hopes are gone. More importantly, their playoff hopes appear to be dashed.
The Bucks did make a trade recently that sent Miles Plumlee packing for Charlotte in
exchange for Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes, but I don’t see that
trade really helping them out as far as making up for Jabari Parker’s
production. That trade is much more about adding some front court depth and
giving them another big guy to bang down low in the post as opposed to giving them
more scoring, which is what Parker gave them.
The Bucks are a team that I root for and so I really hate to
see them catch a bad break like this. Jabari Parker is a really good guy and
has already had his share of injuries to start his career. Hopefully Jabari
Parker is able to come back stronger than before and that the Bucks will
somehow find a way to remain competitive this season. I wish them good luck and
I wish Jabari Parker all the best as he goes about an arduous 12-month rehab
process.
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