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Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood stills seeks out the counsel of his old coach. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is one of the game's legends and an indelible resource to his former players — and back in the Blue Devils' gym last fall, Hood needed the coach to weigh in on something.
"Jabari was just getting out of his cast and he wanted to play pickup. We had to argue him down for 30 minutes to get off the court," Hood recalled this week with a grin. "…We had to bring the coaches involved. We had to get Coach K and tell him to get off the court because he wouldn't listen to us."
That would be Jabari Parker, Hood's teammate at Duke and the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, who so stubbornly wanted to test out his repaired ACL a bit prematurely.
"But that's the type of person he is," Hood said. "He always wants to play. He always wants to compete."
After that torn ACL cut Parker's rookie season short last year, the 6-foot-8 forward is set to compete in Salt Lake City for the first time as a pro on Friday, when Hood's Jazz host Parker and the Bucks. Milwaukee (20-31) has disappointed with its inconsistent play so far this season after making the playoffs a year ago, but Parker's drive combined with his impressive skillset gives the Bucks and their young core great hope for the future.
"Jabari's the best," Bucks head coach Jason Kidd said. "He's a young kid finding his way. He's the ultimate team guy; he's all about the team and about winning. He's a guy that comes to work everyday to learn his craft. He enjoys playing basketball and we're very lucky to have him."
Parker, still just 20 years old, played in 25 games last season before tearing his ACL in a mid-December game and the months that followed were tough as he rehabbed his knee and later went about reintegrating himself with his team.
"It was all difficult," Parker said the Bucks practiced Thursday afternoon at Vivint Smart Home Arena. "Getting your rhythm back. Getting your wind back. Getting a feel for the game. Developing a role now because the guys aren't sued to playing with me. It's just new."
Parker, a member of the Mormon faith, has some loose ties to Utah. Coming out of high school, his top four choices for college were Duke, Michigan State, Stanford and BYU (though on Thursday he said he was never really close to becoming a Cougar). He has some family and friends — including Hood — in the Salt Lake area, too. But for Parker, this trip is all about business.
"As long as we get a win, that's all that matters to me," he said. "We're in a deficit right now and that's all I focus on is the basketball part."
Parker has some catching up to do there, his coach said. Because of the injury, Kidd said, "this is kind of his rookie season." And with that have come ups and downs as Parker settles into his NBA position, works to defend bigger, stronger power forwards and tries to improve his jumpshooting.
"It's just minutes," Kidd said that Parker needs on his path to fulfill his potential. "Being in different situations and how to handle them."
But more than halfway through the NBA's grinding 82-game schedule, Parker is showing why he was one of the nation's top recruits out of high school and the second overall pick two years ago.
"He was the most talented player coming out of the draft that year in college basketball," Hood said.
Coming into Friday's matchup, Parker is averaging better than 11 points and four rebounds per game and his numbers have gone up each month from November through January.
"It's been very long for me," he said of his comeback. "It's been difficult. But with handwork and persistence and my teammates are helping me get back to the flow of the game."
This time, Hood will happily let Parker on the basketball court.
"It'll be fun," Hood said. "Just like old times. Probably talk a little trash to each other, but we just want to see each other do well."
Twitter: @tribjazz About Jabari Parker
College • Duke
Position • Forward
Height • 6-foot-8
Weight • 250 pounds
2015-16 averages • 11.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists per game —
Jazz vs. Bucks
P At Vivint Smart Home Arena
Tipoff • Friday, 7 p.m.
TV • ROOT Sports
Radio • 1280 AM, 97.5 FM
About the Jazz • Riding a season-long four-game win streak after grinding out a victory against the Nuggets on Wednesday. … Shooting guard Rodney Hood is averaging 18.1 points and shooting better than 42 percent from 3 over his last 10 games. … The return of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors drastically improved the Jazz's defense. Utah has been the third-ranked defense since Gobert's return 13 games ago.
About the Bucks • Haven't beaten the Jazz in Utah since October 2001. … Swingman Khris Middleton leads the team in scoring at 17.6 points per game. … Guard O.J. Mayo practiced Thursday but will not play Friday as he recovers from injury.