Jabari Parker Out for the Season With Torn ACL

The Milwaukee Bucks announced early Wednesday morning that stud rookie forward Jabari Parker is lost for the remainder of the season, after tearing his left ACL.

Parker, 19, went down awkwardly on a fastbreak in the third quarter Monday night in Phoenix, as the Bucks escaped in overtime with a last-second 96-94 victory over the Suns.

Jabari, the leading NBA Rookie of the Year candidate, started in all 25 games, averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in just under 30 minutes a night.

This is obviously an enormous blow for the Bucks, who have shown promise this season as they compiled a 13-12 record.

From the press release and Journal Sentinel:

Bucks forward Jabari Parker suffered a left knee injury during the third quarter of (Monday) night’s game in Phoenix. He returned to Milwaukee (Tuesday) afternoon to undergo an MRI that revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. Parker will undergo surgery to repair the injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2014-15 season.

 

So what do the Bucks do now with Parker out of the lineup? […] It could mean more small ball for (head coach Jason Kidd), who has used small lineups with success early in the season. And it should provide an opportunity for expanded playing time for veteran Ersan Ilyasova and third-year player John Henson when they return from injuries.

 

Veteran Zaza Pachulia said “the whole city counts on him” and that the team would be praying for his recovery. […] “He has a lot of years ahead of him for his great career,” Pachulia said. “It was tough to see your teammate going down and not being able to walk.”