Week In Review: Milwaukee Bucks Break Even Despite Losing Jabari Parker

Dec 18, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Jared Dudley (9) runs up the court after scoring a basket against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Sacramento Kings 107-108. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Week

I’ve given Ersan Ilyasova a player of the week for stepping up when the team needed him earlier this year.  I’m going to do the same for Jared Dudley this week.  While the Bucks didn’t necessarily “need” Dudley, he stepped up his game the last two games of the week.

With Jabari out, Dudley is going to start seeing more playing time, and Kidd is going to look for Jared to bring some veteran leadership and some timely shots when Milwaukee needs them.

Dudley scored 19 Thursday night and 16 Saturday night while playing 29 and 32 minutes respectively.

Each one of these bench players might not have value on most NBA squads, but with how Milwaukee is built and how Jason Kidd runs this team, every player needs to able to contribute and log some decent minutes on a nightly basis.

Seeing Dudley step his game up this week is a promising sign and it will need to continue if Milwaukee wants their early season success to.

The Bucks’ next game is Tuesday night at home against the Charlotte Hornets.