Milwaukee Bucks: Worst injuries in franchise history

5. Jabari Parker – (2014-15)

Injury – Left ACL Rupture

While Parker’s second ACL rupture is certainly on the minds of Bucks fans as of right now, it’s his first ACL injury which is truly the more impactful injury to his career.

An injured joint or structure is always vastly weaker than before it was injured to begin with. Hereby, even with full ACL reconstruction surgery, the knee joint will never be as strong as it was prior to the initial injury.

If Parker had never suited up for that fateful game against the Phoenix Suns in December 2014, we may currently be enjoying a vastly different discussion in regard to a potential contract extension.

At the time, Parker was in the midst of a rather successful rookie campaign. The Bucks had begun the year with a surprising .500 record after setting a franchise record for the most losses in a single season in the previous year.

Parker was enjoying a respectable stat line of 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while having been voted Rookie of the Month for November.

Optimism was high for teaming up the high flying Parker with Brandon Knight, the team’s undoubted star at that point, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, only in his second year. For Parker to then miss the rest of the year was devastating for both him and the team. Parker was, at that stage, favourite amongst most analysts to win the Rookie of the Year award. Who knows how far Milwaukee may have gone with Parker on board for a full season?

As it was, Parker was able to return to his elite level of player for a full season and a half following this injury. He played 76 games in 2015-16 and 50 games in 2016-17, while also increasing his scoring averages on both occasions.

To the naked eye, Parker had fully recovered and with arguably more athleticism than before. But the moment Parker tore his ACL a second time, it confirmed the actual severity of the initial injury to his career.

Had Parker not hurt his knee to begin with, most would argue that the second rupture may never have occurred. The rather innocuous fall Parker suffered for his second rupture is testament to this theory. The fact that Parker came back and returned to the elite form most were expecting from him in his rookie season means that this is not the worst injury in Bucks history, but the way in which it has continued to shape his career certainly warrants it a place on this list.