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

3. The bench can use some offensive punch

The Milwaukee Bucks have a potent starting 5, one of the best in the league. The combination of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, Tony Snell and John Henson outscores opponents by 14.7 points per 100 possessions. The four-man combination of Antetokounmpo, Bledsoe, Middleton and Henson (with any player at the 2) is +13.2, which is in the 98th percentile leaguewide.

But once the reserves start to come in things go off the rails for the Bucks. Milwaukee’s bench scores just 24.1 points per game, 29th in the league and only a few tenths away from dead last. This isn’t the case of an elite defensive unit not needing to score, either, as the Bucks’ backups are outscored by 2.2 points per 100 possessions, 28th in the league.

This inability to compete has had a number of consequences. The Bucks’ coaching staff has leaned on the starters, which has meant Milwaukee’s reserves have averaged just 16.5 minutes per game, 27th in the league. This is a large reason why Antetokounmpo and Middleton rank 1-2 among all players in minutes played.

While the long-term starting lineup with Jabari Parker included has yet to be determined, it’s likely he will begin as the team’s sixth man off the bench. Parker scored 20.1 points per game last season, and while he will be hard-pressed to hit those numbers as he comes back, he will immediately be the most talented bench player on the team.