LAS VEGAS – With the NBA’s off season focused on NBA free agency, the NBA’s Summer League has been put on the back burner.
The 2014 NBA Draft was considered one of the greatest in recent history, Therefore, the NBA Las Vegas Summer League will give us a glimpse into the future of the NBA for the next twenty years.
One of the most intriguing team’s at this year’s Las Vegas Summer League is the Milwaukee Bucks. After a tumultuous run last season, their off-season has been just as tumultuous as their regular season was last year.
First, they drafted the most NBA-ready player in the 2014 NBA Draft, Jabari Parker, with the No.2 overall draft pick, who unlike other prospects, wanted to play in Milwaukee.
Then drama came when then coach, Larry Drew, thinking he was safe in the knowledge that he would be coaching the Bucks next year, was swiftly replaced by Jason Kidd, when Kidd became available.
Despite the off-court turmoil surrounding the Bucks they still have a talented young team, particularly with Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo to add to a core of Larry Sanders and John Henson.
What makes the Bucks Summer League team so intriguing is how Parker and Antetokounmpo will play together. Parker is clearly one of the best scorer’s to enter the NBA since Kevin Durant. He dominated on the offensive end in college. He can score the basketball inside out, he can score in the low block or he can score on the perimeter and with his 6’8 250-pound frame, creates huge matchup problems for opposition teams.
Parker’s biggest issue’s while in college was on the defensive end of the court. But with Antetokounmpo he may have the best teammate to compliment his skills.
Antetokounmpo has shown glimpses of greatness on both ends of the floor, with his size and athleticism, he can defend on the perimeter and he has shown he can score the basketball when given game time.
Reportedly, Antetokounmpo has grown in the off-season and is now closer to 7’0 tall than his 6’9 frame from a year ago, which makes him an even more intimidating force on the defensive end.
With Antetokoumpo and Parker to add to Milwaukee’s core of Larry Sanders and John Henson, Buck fans now have hope that their team will be successful in the future.
They have the best scorer from the 2014 Draft in Parker and the best defensive prospect from the 2013 Draft in Antetokoumpo.
The question now is how well will these two players play together?