Jabari Parker
The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off their 47th NBA season with the official start of training camp this morning. The Bucks are holding a pair of workouts both today and tomorrow.
Following a league-worst fifteen wins last season, the Bucks landed the second pick in the NBA Draft lottery and selected Duke’s Jabari Parker. Now, while not throwing everything on his shoulders, Parker is the start of a rebuilding project. He’s joined by another 19-year-old, Giannis Antetokounmpo as the cornerstones of the franchise.
Antetokounmpo arrives to training camp with a year of experience under his belt. Parker is still acclimating himself to the fact that he’ll no longer live the college life. Instead, he’ll try to take on a full 82 game NBA season.
AUDIO: Jabari Parker says he’ll miss college :23
AUDIO: Parker admits to being nervous :18
The fans expect Parker to change the fortunes of the franchise. The Bucks rookie said he looks forward to training camp, but to avoid the pressures of the job, he plans to concentrate on being a team player and doing his job as a rookie.
New head coach Jason Kidd knows what it’s like to have the weight of the world thrust upon a young player. He was the No. 2 overall pick back in 1994 with the Dallas Mavericks.
AUDIO: Jason Kidd on Jabari Parker and his youth :20
Antetokounmpo was taken by the Bucks with the 15th overall pick last season. Because of injuries, he played more than the Bucks had originally anticipated. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds a game last season and at times, showed flashes of greatness.
How far the Bucks come in Kidd’s first season as Bucks coach will depend on more than the play of the two 19-year-olds. To start with, they’ll need a bounce back year from Larry Sanders, who played in just 23 games due to injuries and the list grows from there.