Jabari Parker suffered a scary fall in Phoenix on Monday, but even with an ACL tear in his left knee, he remains one of the leagues young stars and a crucial building block for Milwaukee.Truth be told, the Bucks really were not sure theyd be in this position to begin with. In the days just before the draft last summer, conventional wisdom held that Duke forward Jabari Parker ? who wanted to play for Milwaukee just as much as the Bucks wanted him ? would be on the board when it was Milwaukees turn to use its No. 2 pick. Rumours had been floated that the Cavaliers, who toyed with idea of taking Joel Embiid but were widely expected to pick Andrew Wiggins, would shift course and select Parker first overall. The Cavaliers did a great job in the draft because we really didnt know what they were going to do, Bucks general manager John Hammond said. Usually, a day or two before a draft, or at least the day of the draft, you will have some idea how things are going to go. But literally, when the draft started, we didnt know what they were going to do at No. 1. Usually something leaks out. It didnt. The Bucks got their man, though, and until Monday, all was going well. Parker was the favourite to win the leagues Rookie of the Year award, posting averages of 12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 49.0 percent shooting. He had been getting better, too, scoring 14.3 points and shooting 60.6 percent over a six-game stretch leading into Milwaukees game against the Suns. And then, early in the third quarter in Phoenix, Parker hit the floor. Something was wrong with his left knee, and teammates carried him off the court. He was sent back to Milwaukee for an MRI. The tests reportedly revealed a season-ending ACL tear. Its a blow to the Bucks, who are off to a surprisingly positive 13-12 start in their first season under new coach Jason Kidd and the ownership group headed by Marc Lasry and Wes Edens. But before Bucks fans plunge themselves into the icy depths of the Milwaukee River, remember that this whole rebuild is a long-term project ? this injury to Parker isnt ideal, but its not going to derail anything. Start with Parker himself. He is only 19, and wont turn 20 until March. And, as he said this summer, he wants to stay play in Milwaukee for his career ? a career thats expected to be long and productive. When I spoke with him recently, I asked if he stood by that statement. He smiled and said, No, I think I wanted to be traded. I suggested Id put that out on Twitter. No, Parker said, laughing. Dont do that. I want to be here as much as possible, I want to stay as long as possible, Parker said. I want to just grind it out and see what happens. Even if I were to slump and they wanted to trade me, I would probably want to try and get better so I could stay here. One reason for that is the vision that Lasry and Edens have pitched, not only to Parker, but to his family ? including his father, Sonny Parker, who can sometimes be seen sitting with ownership during games. I feel very comfortable with them, the younger Parker said. A lot of times, when you think of ownership, it is almost like you think of slavery. Youre a piece of property. But with them, it is a partnership. Remember, too, that one of the reasons behind Milwaukees success to this point has been depth. Kidd has used his roster inside and out, with 12 players appearing in at least 14 of the Bucks games, and five players averaging double-figure scoring. Losing Parker stings, but this is still a young, growing group. The players on the roster could be building blocks ? or they could be assets to bolster the growth of Parker through a trade. Hammond said recently that, while the team would love to have Parker win Rookie of the Year, its not really where his impact on the franchise will be felt. If were talking about this being long term and building toward the future, the most important thing is not that he becomes Rookie of the Year today; the most important thing is that he becomes a better player in Year 2 and Year 3 and Year 4, Hammond said. We dont put that kind of pressure on him to say, You have to do this, you have to have these kinds of numbers or expectations. There are many, many guys in the NBA who have had subpar or mediocre rookie seasons and then turned out to be Hall of Fame players. We truly believe in him long term. The injury is a problem. But its a short-term problem. The Bucks can withstand it this year, and knowing full well that Parker will get healthy and improve in Year 2, in Year 3, in Year 4.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:15:05 +0000
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