ESPN: Jabari Parker and Jason Kidd interviews from camp
Jabari Parker not surprisingly likes all those comparisons to Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce and (wait for it) Glenn Robinson. And while those guys have mostly been known as small forwards, Jabari also tells ESPN's Chris Broussard that he expects to feature mostly at the power forward position for now. On that topic, Parker mentions the Bucks looking to play a " four out, one in" brand of basketball, which would serve as further reminder that Kidd likes the perimeter abilities that Parker and Ersan Ilyasova can bring to the power forward spot.
Bucks.com: 10 things we learned at Media Day
Alex Boeder has his own set of takeaways from Monday's Media Day festivities.
JS: Bucks make a pair of 19-year-olds the face of the franchise
Just in case you hadn't heard about this Parker guy and this Antetokounmpo guy: They're pretty important.
But as Matt Velazquez writes, they're also still kids, which will mean mistakes and a bit of trepidation as well..
"I am nervous. It is a stretch of 82 games I'm not really used to doing," Parker said at media day on Monday. "That's something that I'm very nervous with and looking forward to because if I want to be in this league for a long time, I just have to throw myself in the fire."
FS Wisconsin: Middleton misses practice after cyst removed, Kidd expects to tinker
No one knows what kind of lineup Kidd will trot out on October 29 when the Bucks open the season in Charlotte, so it should come as no surprise that he plans to use the preseason for experimentation. Andrew Gruman reports:
"Don't judge me on preseason because we're going to play a lot of different combinations and there will be a lot of people starting and playing the role of coming off the bench," Kidd said. "We'll figure it out.
"It takes time. Throughout our training camp and preseason, it will shake itself out. You'll see combinations that work well together."
Otherwise: Gruman writes that Khris Middleton will likely watch most of the week from the sidelines after having a cyst removed--but thankfully it doesn't sound serious.
Also watching from the sidelines has been respected veteran assistant Tim Grgurich, whom you may recall seeing on the Bucks' bench in Vegas as well. A long-time assistant of George Karl's in Seattle and Denver, Grgurich also spent one (albeit forgettable) season in Milwaukee in 01/02. And while he hasn't been officially hired, Kidd joked that Grgurch could stay as long as he wants.
JS: Jason Kidd has a better defense planned for Bucks
Speaking after his team's first practice on Tuesday, Jason Kidd said he's hoping to make the Bucks a defense-first team. Related: Jason Kidd has his work cut out for him.
After all, we're talking about a team that finished dead last in defensive efficiency last season, as well as a new coach whose previous team finished 20th in the league. So aside from a hopefully rejuvenated Larry Sanders--which is certainly a big deal--this is a team without much of any defensive pedigree. So are Kidd's comments a sign of what's ahead, or just another training camp cliche? We'll get our first hints on October 8 when the preseason opens against Memphis.
Bucksketball:The dry witicisms of Jason Kidd
Speaking of Kidd, our friend Jeremy Schmidt has an excellent recap of his finest moments from Monday's media day. The O.J. Mayo stuff is still my favorite. Oh, and also be sure to hit up Jeremy's piece on Brandon Knight's point guardiness and Nick Whalen's Mayo post.
620 WTMJ: Lasry and Edens talk arena next step
No big revelations here, but a reiteration from Wes Edens that the team hopes to have a site selected by the end of the year certainly isn't a bad thing.