Will Jabari Remain a Buck?

When Jabari Parker was drafted as our first round pick in 2014, most Bucks fans thought of him as a big part of our future. A key alongside Giannis in the eventual rise of Milwaukee basketball as we once knew it. Now it seems questionable if Jabari is even relevant to the team going forward.

Part of the problem stems back to the two scary injuries Jabari has faced throughout his tenure with Milwaukee. He has suffered two town ACL’s, in both knees, and this has surely disrupted his progress and adjustment to the team’s current fixture. But even though he is recovered now and played for us in the Bucks series against the Celtics, he doesn’t look like the Jabari we all once knew prior to the injuries. He looks shaky, almost hesitant to jump and run because he is afraid of re injuring his knees.

Aside from how he is looking, Parker also clashed with Buck’s coaching staff over playing time throughout the series with the Celtics. If he is unhappy with his minutes, Parker may be looking for another team to sign him to a max deal, which I’m sure he is looking for.

When asked about Jabari’s current state with the team, Giannis made it perfectly clear that he and other players want him to stay. Giannis told reporters how important he is to their future and how valued Jabari is to the organization.

As next season approaches, I look forward to seeing how this story unfolds. 

 

Review of Bucks Point Guard Eric Bledsoe

It’s definitely safe to say the Bucks improved when Eric Bledsoe joined the team, but does he give them enough to be a top playoff contender?

My opinion is yes–if he takes better care of the ball.

During the Bucks’ first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Bledsoe was on and off at best. He would have stretches where he scored, passed well, and defended, but often times, he would suddenly become quite sloppy with the ball. If he is to be a fixture in our offense, he needs to sometimes slow down his pace and look to get others involved instead of isolating and attempting a poor shot, or even losing the ball to the defense.

Although the Bucks’ one and only playoff series was not Bledsoe’s premier clinic, he still did a lot for us throughout the regular season. He because a key facilitator and clicked instantly with star Giannis Antetekounpo. Giannis and Bledsoe played a successful amount of pick and roll offense and this is definitely credit to Bledsoe for ensuring the Buck’s best player is steadily involved.

There was a lot of criticism over Bledsoe’s performance in the playoffs, but I don’t think that should overshadow how well he played most of the season. I look forward to seeing him in a Bucks uniform next season as the Bucks open in their new arena.