Milwaukee Bucks: Trade season, why Jabari Parker is key to championship hopes
The search for a second star
With Giannis Antetokounmpo making his way into MVP discussion this year, the Bucks are halfway there. If you’ve seen Giannis play, there’s no doubt in your mind that he is a guy you can build a championship-winning roster around.
So the Bucks have their number one guy, but who’s going to be their number two? LeBron James and Stephen Curry are phenomenal talents, but neither wins it all without Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson, or even Kevin Love and Draymond Green.
As it stands, the Bucks are still missing that piece.
Khris Middleton is a great player, but he’s not on that level. The same applies for Eric Bledsoe. If utilized correctly, either of these players might be able to produce similar numbers to a Kyrie or Klay, but at the end of the day they just don’t pressure elite teams in the same way that guys as talented as Irving or Thompson do.
With this in mind, Parker is a challenging player. A great scoring talent limited by his total lack of defensive awareness. He’s a physical force, too fast and too strong for even some of the best defenders, but he’s also injury prone.
Giannis said he's "really excited" for Jabari Parker's return on Friday. He added, "I think when he comes back he’s going to take this team to the next level.”
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) January 30, 2018
Still, even through the injury-disrupted early stages of Parker’s career, the potential is plain for all to see. If he can make the necessary improvements and get some accompanying luck, there’s another level for him to unlock.