Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 128-125 loss to Denver Nuggets
By Adam McGee
The might of the Jabari
It’s unfortunate that it ultimately had to be wasted on a loss, but Jabari Parker put in an other-worldly performance on Sunday night.
As Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled with foul trouble and Khris Middleton couldn’t get his shot to fall, Parker joined Eric Bledsoe in stepping up to the plate for Milwaukee.
Parker played almost nine minutes more than his season-high in minutes, and accompanied it with a scoring outburst that fell just one point short of tying his career-high.
With the combination of forceful play around the rim and red-hot shooting from mid-range and behind the arc, Parker went off for 35 points on 14-of-23 from the field and 5-of-8 from deep. To add to that, Parker chipped in with 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Speaking after the game, Parker talked about his hot start and some of the challenges of coming off the bench.
"“What helps is that my teammates help me out there and they constantly just try to keep me engaged. It’s not fun just coming off the bench and playing spot minutes, but I thank them for staying with me.”"
While many will interpret those comments as Parker voicing his dissatisfaction at his current role — and there’s no reason to suggest that isn’t what he was doing — it would be difficult to argue that he doesn’t have the right to do that after a performance like this one.
As the season nears its conclusion and the Bucks are none the wiser about how their best pieces can fit together, there’s a feeling of a missed or unexplored opportunity in terms of Parker’s role of late.
Parker is far from a perfect player, and his flaws could ultimately prove too great for him to mesh seamlessly in a starting unit and maximize the overall effect of Milwaukee’s talent, but it’s something the Bucks really need to at least try.
What’s clear from a game like this is that Parker possesses a level of talent the Bucks can’t easily find elsewhere. Without cap space and a bounty of valuable draft picks, Milwaukee’s best chance at true success is likely tied to their ability to find a comfortable fit for Parker alongside Antetokounmpo.
That may not be a statement that elicits great optimism among all of the team’s fans, but it’s looking like the Bucks’ reality.
Next: Win In 6 Podcast #196: A late season glimmer of hope?
The Bucks will next be in action on Tuesday night as they return home to host the Boston Celtics in a 7pm CT start.