The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the biggest surprises in the NBA last year as they made the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with an extremely young team. Because of that success they came into this season with high expectations and they are still looking for their first win after three games. The Bucks are still waiting to get Jabari Parker back as he recovers from a torn ACL but they could get reinforcements in the way of Tyler Ennis very soon, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Ennis underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder in May and has been working his way back. The 21 year old point guard has been cleared for contact and feels that he is close but does not want to rush anything and risk re-injuring the shoulder.
"I'm anxious to return, but I'd rather be patient and make sure I'm 100 percent before I come back and have another setback," said Ennis.
Ennis' NBA career has gotten off to a slow start after being a star in college at Syracuse. He was drafted eighth overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2014 NBA Draft but was traded in his rookie season after appearing in just eight games. Ennis was shipped to Milwaukee in the same deal that sent Brandon Knight to Phoenix and Michael Carter-Williams to Milwaukee. In 25 games with the Bucks last season Ennis averaged 4.0 points and 2.4 assists in 14.1 minutes per game while shooting just 35 percent from the field.
Ennis is a talented young player but he is coming back to a Bucks team that is pretty deep at the point guard spot. Carter-Williams is the clear starter and is off to a solid start this season and they have Greivis Vasquez as the backup point guard. The Bucks also have Jerryd Bayless in the rotation and he too can play point guard so Ennis is going to have to earn his minutes.
Head coach Jason Kidd has not guaranteed Ennis minutes upon his return but he did speak highly of the former Orangeman as he said that he has great vision, he's a winner and that the Bucks need "all of those ingredients." Ennis believes he is only a couple of weeks away from returning so we will know soon what kind of role, if any, he will have.
