.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Parker productive in limited minutes in return to Bucks
Welcome to the 2017-18 edition of the Young Bucks Tracker. This year, we're taking a different tact. With Milwaukee now having a G League franchise, the Wisconsin Herd, each Thursday we'll either track the progress of the players who might be of help to the Bucks in the future or a current member of the Milwaukee roster. We'll also give updates on the other young players from the previous week.
This is the 11th edition of the 2017-18 Young Bucks Tracker.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Forward Jabari Parker
Returning from his second torn ACL, Parker's time was going to be limited.
It was announced before his first game that Parker would play around 15 minutes -- and indeed in a win over the Knicks on Feb. 2, he played 14:48. In his next outing, Parker got in for 17:27 and in game No. 3 at New York on Feb. 6 his playing time was already up to 20:24.
While Parker's time on the court might be held down, his production has been anything but.
Parker scored in double-digits in all three games, with 12, 11 and 10 points.
His scoring per 36 minutes is 22.4. For comparison, Giannis Antetokounmpo tops the Bucks with 27.2 points per 36 minutes. No one else on Milwaukee has a higher rate than Parker's 22.4. Eric Bledsoe is at 20.1 while Khris Middleton scored 19.6 points per 36.
In addition, Parker's offensive rating (per basketball-reference) is 124 -- only Marshall Plumlee, who has played nine fewer minutes, has a higher rating (129). Antetokounmpo leads the "regulars" with a 119 ORtg.
Parker's win shares per 48 minutes is .204 -- the NBA average is .100 -- Antetokounmpo is the only other Milwaukee player with over a .200 WS/48 (.243). Further, only 15 qualifying players in the NBA have a WS/48 of .200 or better.
Parker made 50 percent of his field goals in his three games as well as 85.7 percent of his free-throw attempts.
In other words, Parker has been highly productive. And he's just getting started.
BUCKSHOTS
-- Just wondering, do they still make NBA posters?
-- John Henson saw a career-high streak of seven straight games with 10+ points come to an end against the Knicks, but then the next time out he posted season highs of 19 points and 18 rebounds at Brooklyn, although he also injured an ankle, which forced him to miss Milwaukee's game at New York. The 18 rebounds were Henson's most since he had a career-high 25 at Orlando on April 10, 2013.
-- Eric Bledsoe had games of 29 and 23 points last week. It was his highest-scoring games since he tallied 29 at Toronto on Jan. 1.
-- In his last three games, Thon Maker made 9 of 17 shots (52.9 percent). In a win at New York on Feb. 6, he had a box score +/- of plus-26, tying his career high.
-- D.J. Wilson started two games with the Wisconsin Herd last week, playing 33 minutes in each contest. In the first he had 12 points on 6-of-15 shooting, including missing all four of his 3-point attempts, with five rebounds, four assists and a block. In the second he had 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting (1 of 3 on 3s) with four rebounds and two assists … and a box score +/- of minus-41.
