Jabari Parker injury update, Jabari Parker
Jan 23, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) takes a shot against Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson (3) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. USA TODAY Sports / Benny Sieu

Fourth-year forward Jabari Parker is nearing his season debut for the Milwaukee Bucks, according to a new report. Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, suffered a career-threatening torn left anterior cruciate ligament during a 106-88 loss to the Miami Heat last February.

Parker had re-injured the same ACL he tore in his rookie season with the Bucks. The versatile forward was averaging a career-high tally of 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists before the injury. Parker had formed a formidable duo with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, and many considered them the most dynamic 1-2 punch in the league. This year, Antetokounmpo is a contender to win league MVP honours.

"(I should return) within these couple weeks. I think it's in the air for now. I've got to keep on talking it over with the medical staff and by that time I should be good. Even when I come back at some time, it's still going to be a journey for me, taking it step by step. I'm not there, so every moment is an opportunity to get better," Parker told reporters on Saturday, via The Associated Press.

The Bucks (25-22) are currently clinging to the eighth seed in the highly competitive Eastern Conference. They are just two games behind the fourth-seeded Miami Heat (28-21). Second-year point guard Malcolm Brogdon believes Parker's return would be a significant boost for the team, which could prove to be a dangerous unit in the playoffs.

“I think it allows us to stay positive as a group, not get down on ourselves. Because I think in times of struggle when we have our downs we tend to pout, we tend to take our foot off the gas and just go within yourself and we can’t do that. He’s a good person to have around, a good coach to have when we’re going through those struggles," Brogdon said, via The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

With the Bucks front office letting go of coach Jason Kidd, Parker will return to a team led by interim coach Joe Prunty. “Joe is a coach, right? And Joe understands the tone. On the other side, you had Jay, who was a player. He speaks up like a player, he gets in our face just like players would. Just like how Khris (Middleton) would or even John (Henson) would. So it’s two different types of tones, one necessarily not being bad, but both of them being from different environments," Parker said while discussing the team's recent coaching change. Stay tuned for the latest Jabari Parker injury update.