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76ers-Bucks Preview

Nov 3, 2015 - 7:45 PM Jabari Parker won't be returning as part of a winless team, but he could help keep the Philadelphia 76ers that way.

Two nights after the Milwaukee Bucks picked up their first win, they'll get their prized draft pick from a season ago back Wednesday night at home against the Duke phenom and fellow Chicago product who followed him through Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Parker last played Dec. 15 in Phoenix and tore his left ACL before the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft underwent season-ending surgery Jan. 5. The Bucks (1-3), who won 103-96 at Brooklyn on Monday, will also have reserve point guard Tyler Ennis back after Parker's fellow first-rounder missed the start of the season with a shoulder injury.

"We're very excited to have both Jabari and Tyler medically cleared to play for us," general manager John Hammond told the team's official website. "Both players have put in a tremendous amount of hard work during the rehabilitation process. It's a real credit to their work ethic and the talents of our world-class medical team and terrific coaching staff to have them ready to go. I know our fans are thrilled to have them back and will give them both a warm welcome on Wednesday night."

According to coach Jason Kidd, Parker will be limited to 15-20 minutes to start and may not play in back-to-back sets.

"That sounds pretty good," said Parker, who made his home debut with 11 points in a win over Philadelphia on Oct. 31, 2014. "Even 20 is a big number. I just go with what I'm given."

He averaged 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds as a rookie and was starting to take off offensively in the seven games preceding the injury with 15.0 points and 58.9 percent shooting. The Bucks were a very different-looking team at the time, and he'll take the floor with Michael Carter-Williams for the first time.

Carter-Williams will face his former team for the third time after matching a season high with 30 points in a 107-97 win in Philadelphia on April 13. The point guard has been held to progressively fewer points and shots in each game this season, beginning with 20 points on 6 of 17 in a season-opening loss to New York and six on 2 of 3 while dealing with foul trouble against the Nets.

Jerryd Bayless scored 26, Greg Monroe had 23 and Giannis Antetokounmpo 21 on Monday. Antetokounmpo missed the opener but is averaging 22.7 points and 58.1 percent since, while Monroe has scored 20.3 in his first four games with Milwaukee.

The Bucks went 4-0 against the 76ers (0-3) last season and have won six straight meetings. The season series results were hardly surprising given that Philadelphia went 18-64 and lost its final 10.

The Sixers fell 107-100 to Cleveland at home Monday with Jahlil Okafor, picked third by Philadelphia out of Duke in this year's draft, scoring a game-high 24 points. It was the second time the rookie has led the 76ers in scoring and he's averaged 20.0 points in his first three games.

With Okafor adjusting to the NBA game, teammate Nerlens Noel now has to get used to matching up with power forwards rather than centers, so it's Noel who figures to see more of Parker and Antetokounmpo than Okafor.

"He's used to his whole life running back to the front of the rim," coach Brett Brown told the team's official website. "Now he's got to run to a hell of a perimeter 3-point shooter. And so that's his evolution if he is going to be a four-man."

No matter the personnel, the losses seem to be discouraging Brown as he tries to improve on a 37-127 record from the previous two seasons.

"It is more difficult for me to remain positive in Year Three," he said.