Ten months since his surgery to repair a torn ACL, Jabari Parker will now make his return to the Milwaukee Bucks this Wednesday, as they play against the Philadelphia 76ers. His first time back after the injury was on Monday's game against the Brooklyn Nets, though he didn't play.
For several weeks, he had been targeting Wednesday's game, as his return in a home game was a priority for him. He was given a go-signal on Monday to play after he consulted with Dr David Altchek, who performed the procedure on his left knee in January, ESPN reported.
Parker said that he feels pretty good, although it is still a long way to go. He added, "It is about maintaining, but I'm blessed."
For the time being, Parker is restricted to 15 to 20 minutes, said Bucks coach, Jason Kidd. He would also be held out of back-to-backs in the short term.
Coach Kidd said he has done everything that a player can do at a high level. The No. 2 pick in the 2014 draft, Parker injured his knee while driving to the basket in a game in Phoenix on Dec. 15. As a rookie, Parker averaged 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 25 games before he was injured. Last season, he averaged 29.5 minutes per game before the injury.
Parker said he worked on being an overall player to fill any void for his team, no matter what position Bucks wanted him to be in. He's more comfortable now, and not as nervous anymore as he was last year at this time.
International Reaction also reports Parker's return on Wednesday when the Milwaukee Bucks plays against the 76ers, as announced by a group on Monday. He was activated on the game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, although he did not play.
The Milwaukee Bucks also announced that Tyler Ennis has been privileged to play. Ennis has been out via a pre-season to correct a ripped labrum in May.