I’m thankful for the young Bucks and the beauty of hope

Sep 29, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks players Jabari Parker (left) and Giannis Antetokounmpo pose for a picture during media day at the Cousins Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

What I’m thankful for this NBA season are two 19-year-olds, a new energy, and hope for something great.

In Milwaukee, Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo are just beginning their pro careers, but have already generated quite a bit of buzz. At this juncture, most of the hype surrounding the duo is about what they could become, but Milwaukee hasn’t had a tandem with this much potential in over a decade, if not longer. To make matters even better, both the youngsters appear to be just as enjoyable off the court as they are on it. They have both embraced Milwaukee, and the city is ready to embrace them right back. Getting the franchise back to consistent respectability is going to be lengthy process, but Bucks fans have a great opportunity to enjoy watching it get built, led by Jabari and Giannis.

While the on-court product begins that process of improving, the behind-the-scenes business is also making big strides. Last April, the Bucks had come off of a a season where they lost over 80 percent of their games, giving them a franchise worst finish at 15-67. Help was said to be on the way with the addition of a high draft pick, but no logical person that paid close attention to the Bucks could honestly tell you that they were feeling great about the future.

Almost eight months have passed since then, and the narrative has almost done a complete 180 degree turn. Since April, the Bucks have changed ownership, added Jabari Parker to their roster, got a new Head Coach (who happens to be a Hall of Fame point guard, and progressed on talks for a new arena quicker than most people probably were expecting. Don’t get me wrong: there’s still plenty of work to get done before the Bucks are competitive or playing in that new arena, but there’s definitely are reasons to believe that both will eventually happen.

The word ”hope” was thrown around a lot at this time last year. Generally, it was used as a place-holding word for some otherwise subtle anxieties. “I hope Player X or Y can emerge from this group and become a star” or “I hope the team tanks for a year or two or three” was a much easier way of saying “I hope all of this isn’t gone in a few years.”

Now hope is starting to transition into optimism, and optimism will soon transition into belief.  The pieces are slowly starting to put themselves together and nothing seems impossible anymore. The start of a new era of the Bucks basketball is here, and with it could come a new era for the city of Milwaukee. For all this, I am very thankful.