NBA 30 teams/30 days preview: Parker, Antetokounmpo give Bucks hope

Editor's note: This is the second of Sam Amico's 30 NBA team previews entering the 2014-15 season.

Coach

Jason Kidd's hiring (and former coach Larry Drew's firing) was just weird. That's something on which almost everyone in the NBA agrees -- that new ownership made a major misstep in how it handled bringing Kidd on board. But PR nightmare or not, Kidd is here. He did a so-so job in his one season with the veteran Nets; they were (barely) better at the end than the start. So that's something. But will Kidd mesh well with such a young bunch?

Centers

When healthy and focused, Larry Sanders is one of the league's finest defenders at the rim, a shot-altering athlete with strong instincts defensively. On offense, he can be an underrated scorer. But questions remain about whether he takes the game seriously enough, or if he can stay healthy. He must answer them this year. ... As for Sanders' backup, Zaza Pachulia can still bang with the best. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

Power forwards

Ersan Ilyasova is one of those guys who will likely never be an All-Star but is still pretty versatile and a constant threat. He can kill you, or you can forget he's even on the floor. ... John Henson is another guy who may never be star, but he does everything well enough and always plays hard. Plus, his best may still be yet to come.

Small forwards

No. 2 overall draft pick Jabari Parker enters the season as a bona fide scorer who appears ready to make a solid impact, particularly when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. If Kidd makes it a priority, there's a good chance Parker could lead the team in scoring and win Rookie of the Year. ... Jared Dudley and Khris Middleton are capable backups, but considering Parker could play 40-plus minutes a night, they're mostly just fighting for playing time.

Shooting guards

The only bad news about second-year pro Giannis Antetokounmpo is it's extremely difficult to spell and say his name. Other than that, his remarkable athleticism and developing skills offer the Bucks plenty of reason for high hopes. He and Parker should be a handful at the wing spots for years to come. ... Meanwhile, O.J, Mayo is coming off a disappointing season and just seems to keep fading. The Bucks will try to move him, but good luck. The market isn't great.

Point guards

Kidd is a future Hall of Famer at this position, and if he can get through to Brandon Knight, then Kidd's clunky offseason hiring may be worth it. Right now, Knight shoots too much and doesn't distribute nearly enough. He must improve for this team to make any sort of strides. ... Second-year man Nate Wolters and summer addition Kendall Marshall are likely lifelong backups, but that's OK. Each seems to have a firm grasp of his role.

Projection

Last place in the Central Division again sounds about right coming off the league’s worst record, but at least the Bucks are young with two important pieces in place in Antetokounmpo and Parker. But those guys are each just 19 years old, and everything else remains a question mark. It's tough to survive a season in the NBA that way.

Quotable

"Nothing grows without pain; nothing grows without struggle. You just have to pick apart the lessons within the struggle." -- Larry Sanders

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