Bucks plan to be 'very conservative' with Jabari Parker's workload

Milwaukee Bucks fans pencilling Jabari Parker in for big minutes in 2015-16 need to pump their brakes just a little bit.

The No. 2 pick in the 2014 draft had his rookie season cut short after 25 games thanks to a torn ACL, and while he's expected back for this season, the Bucks are going to exercise caution with one of their biggest assets. General manager John Hammond declined to provide a timeline for Parker's on-court return, but he was clear that there's no rush to get him playing starter's minutes.

As Hammond explained to The Washington Post:

I get asked two questions every single day. No. 1 is, how's Jabari? And No. 2: How soon will Jabari be back to play?

I answer the first one very easily and say he's doing absolutely great. His rehab is going well. The second answer: We're going to be very conservative with him. If we think he's capable of playing 20, we'll maybe play him 10 minutes. If we think he can play a back-to-back, we'll wait on the back-to-back. Whatever it is, we're going to be very cautious as he move(s) forward because of the magnitude of who he can be and who we hope he can be for our organization going forward.

That's a completely justifiable approach to take with such a valuable piece. The Bucks made the playoffs last season and are set to be competitive again this year, but their aspirations of contending are a few years down the line, and rushing Parker now and risking his long-term health would be shortsighted.

While Parker recovers, Milwaukee has plenty of options at power forward and the versatility up and down its roster to get by without him.

Once Parker's up to speed, he'd stand to push the team's ceiling significantly higher. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds as a 19-year-old, shooting 49 percent from the floor and showing enough range to project him as a potential inside-out threat, and he should complement the team's other young core pieces well.