When everyone talks about tanking being a problem in the modern NBA, the most contemporary of examples is the Philadelphia 76ers. What people often forget, though, is that the Sixers weren’t even the worst team in the league for the 2013-14 season. That dubious honor belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks. Oddly enough, they weren’t a team with clear intentions to tank last season, but they ended up doing so anyway.

The poor result of last season ultimately paid dividends for the Bucks, though, as they were able to add Jabari Parker in the 2014 NBA Draft. Parker not only has upside and promise for the future, but he was also widely regarded as one of the most pro-ready prospects of the 2014 draft class.

While the first month of Parker’s rookie season hasn’t been jaw-dropping in any capacity, the Bucks are looking a far cry from the team that finished last year as the league’s worst. After one month, Milwaukee sits as the six-seed in the East right now with a respectable 10-8 record to their name.

If you had to pinpoint the “star” of the Bucks, that honor would undoubtedly go to point guard Brandon Knight. Though there have been warranted questions about his effectiveness in the past, he’s putting that to rest thus far this season as he’s averaging 17 points, 5.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 39.5 percent from three.

However, what’s been fantastic about the Bucks this season is the balance of their offensive and defensive attack. They have guys who cause problems all over the floor defensively, which plays into a solid team defensive concept. In addition, their offensive is incredibly balanced with five players in their rotation averaging in double-figures to start the year.

Though it may have once seemed unlikely, it seems like the biggest addition for the Bucks isn’t the rookie Parker, but is instead new head coach Jason Kidd. While it’s clear at times that he’s still feeling certain things out in Milwaukee, he has his team playing cohesively and looking like a feisty competitor in the East. Especially as his young players grow, Kidd and his team have a lot of promise on the horizon.

Final Grade: B+