Milwaukee Bucks: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Storyline 2: Can Jabari Parker contribute when he returns?

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the league’s most talented players, and has quickly become one of the most impossible players to guard. But it is possible to scheme any one player out of his comfort areas, and every team needs a secondary playmaker and scorer to break down a defense.

Milwaukee has surrounded Antetokounmpo with shooters and defenders, but the team that will take the court to start the season will lack an elite shot-maker. Khris Middleton is a talented wing who will push for an All-Star bid this season, but offensively he is best deployed as the third option.

That creates the need for Jabari Parker, who was enjoying a breakout offensive year in his third season before he went down with a knee injury in February. Current projections place the former Duke star’s return in January, and all signs from the Bucks and Parker’s camp suggest his recovery is going well.

If Parker can return at even the same level he was before the injury, he could be a dangerous piece off the bench for Milwaukee. Long-term he may have a starting role, but easing him back in as the primary shot-creator when Giannis sits — and often alongside him — could provide the offense with some needed verve.

The fear is that Parker will not come back with the same athleticism that made him such a dynamic scorer. If he is a step slower, than his defensive deficiencies will begin to outweigh his offensive gifts, and his value to a playoff-bound team decreases significantly. Everyone hopes the best for Parker, and especially the Milwaukee Bucks.