Milwaukee Bucks: 5 reasons Jabari Parker’s return Friday will help

Photo by Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images
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Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

5. Milwaukee needs help at power forward

This may seem like a bizarre statement, given that the Bucks currently employ the league’s best power forward in Giannis Antetokounmpo. But the reality of the first half of the season is that the team lacks any quality option at the 4 other than their superstar.

Antetokounmpo made the full-time move to power forward in the wake of Parker’s injury last season, and that is where he should stay. But the Bucks have cycled through backup options, all of them coming up empty.

Mirza Teletovic has played in just 10 games this season battling a number of related injuries and health issues. With Parker unavailable all year, and rookie D.J. Wilson not yet ready for primetime, the team has lacked another traditional 4 in the rotation.

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That has left Khris Middleton backing up Antetokounmpo at the 4, or sliding down to the 4 when Antetokounmpo moves to center. According to Cleaning the Glass, lineups with Middleton at the 4 are being outscored by 7.4 points per 100 possessions over almost 1200 possessions, a substantial sample size. Last season Middleton played just 36 possessions at the 4, with similarly bad results.

While Middleton at 6’8″ has the theoretical size to play the 4, he entered the league as a 2 and has a slight frame. His post game revolves around shooting over smaller defenders, and he doesn’t have the experience nor the instincts to be a solid rim protector.

Parker returning means that the Bucks can always deploy a true power forward — at least, they can play a true 4 in Parker and a freakish alien in Antetokounmpo, who could play any position. The Bucks won’t need to worry about how to fill minutes at the 4, and Middleton can stay at his best position on the wing.