This is probably the worst thing that could have happened to the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
Injuries happen, especially in the NBA where players are expected to play 3-4 games a week. The Bucks have recently been hampered by minor injuries to John Henson and Ersan Ilyasova, but neither figure to be out for an extended period of time. As two teenagers took the reigns of a newly owned franchise and captured the city and leagues attention during the first month and a half, my one hope has always been, "please don't get hurt." Well aware of the grind that is an 82-game season for young players in the league, I expected a few bumps and bruises along the way. But not this. Not 25 games into the season.
On December 15th, Jabari Parker's rookie season was cut short as he suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.
Ever since last April when Marc Lasry and Wes Edens were named majority owners of the Bucks, the organization has been on a roller coaster ride. Between the hiring of Jason Kidd, negotiations for a new arena, expansion of the front office and the surprise start to the 2014-15 season, nothing has gotten the city of Milwaukee more excited than Jabari Parker. While all have been contributing factors to rebuilding the culture, none have had the impact that Parker has brought to the franchise. While his stats (12.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 APG) aren't eye popping for a draft class touted to be one of the best of all time, it is the hope he brings as the face of a franchise who is going to bring the Bucks back to legitimacy. The loss obviously hurts in more ways than one but I decided to take a different approach to this post. Instead of making this a eulogy and discussing all the ways the Bucks are doomed until next November (which has been going through my head since the second he fell), I will ATTEMPT to find opportunities the Bucks can use this to become even stronger. Here goes nothing...
1. Development of Giannis
With the loss of Parker, who averaged almost 11 field goal attempts per game, suddenly a few more opportunities open up to feature the Greek Freak. Over the first 25 games, Giannis has made his case as Most Improved Player and should welcome an even more expanded role in the offense. Coach Kidd has constantly been putting him in situations at the top of the key to exploit mismatches and while he has done an exceptional job at that, I am looking forward to seeing what he can do in different spots on the floor, coming off screens, posting up, etc. If there was ever a time to play with Giannis at the two forward spots (or guard positions for that matter), now would be that time. As disappointing as it is to lose time that the two players could be developing chemistry with each other, this may give Giannis another opportunity to develop his skills in ways he would have been able to otherwise.
2. New Contributors
It is very fitting that as Parker goes down with an injury, another power forward selected in this year's draft recovers from an injury that has sidelined him for the first month and a half. Although we can't expect half as much production, suddenly 30 minutes become available for guys like Johnny O'Bryant (and possibly Damien Inglis?) to potentially prove themselves. The Bucks have owned the deepest bench all season long and they will certainly need to earn every minute on the floor, but with Henson and Ilyasova already out Coach Kidd may not have a choice but to throw the rookies into the fire. Kidd has also liked to play small ball with three guards at a time and with an already thin front court, don't be surprised to see Milwaukee pick up the pace and look to create mismatches with guards off the bench like Bayless, Marshall, and even Wolters.
3. 2015 NBA Draft
I have never been a fan of "tanking" and don't think any team should tank for a draft selection so let's get that clear right away. Twenty-five games into the season, Coach Kidd has proved that as much as he wants to develop his players, he is still trying to win now and has done a good job at it. This approach won't change, however, realistically losing the favorite to win rookie of the year will most likely cost your team a few wins. The Bucks will remain competitive and continue to play close games against playoff-caliber teams and even in a mediocre Eastern Conference, I wouldn't be surprised to see them finish in the 6-8 seed range. With Parker, I would slot them closer to a 6-seed but even barring a turnaround by a team like the Hornets or Pacers, they should still find a way to make the playoffs. The talent pool outside the lottery (14-30) may seem like a crap shoot but there can be a big difference between the 14th and 17th picks, especially if a player ends up falling out of the lottery. Because the Bucks pride themselves on building through the draft, the talent available 2-3 spots ahead of where they stand right now could be instrumental in building around Parker and Antetokounmpo for years to come.
4. #OwnTheFuture
The slogan that you have seen EVERYWHERE surrounding Bucks news over the past two years has been a strategic marketing pitch that emphasizes the fact that the organization is preparing for years to come and building now for success later. Any knowledgable NBA fan couldn't see this much success coming from a team that finished 15-67 last season and as thrilling as it has been, we didn't draft Parker to win a championship this season...or even next season. This was a selection for long term success and this kind of injury would sting a lot more if it were in year three, four or five when we will hopefully be talking about conference and league finals aspirations.
There is no doubt that this injury will take a hit on the Bucks this season but as I received countless texts over the past few days from friends who were devastated over the news, I couldn't help but think about how relevant the franchise has become over the past five months, thanks to Jabari Parker. Even more encouraging is the fact that, as much as we have gotten to know Parker during his short time with the team, we should be confident that he will come back stronger and more determined than ever before.
#ownthefuture
