“There’s been a lot of second pick busts,” Parker said Saturday morning, at the grand opening of the redesigned Jordan space inside Nike Chicago. “I’m just trying not to be that bust. Everyday that I step on the court, I just remind myself that I have a long ways to go. If I want to be one of those guys in the first tier of the NBA, like a LeBron, like a Kobe, like a [Blake Griffin], then I have to have that mentality starting off from the ground, and work my way up.”

Parker knows his history.

There is an unusually high amount of players who could rightfully be labeled as being busts that were taken second overall. The list is long, and includes names like Darko Milicic, Michael Beasley, and perhaps most famously Sam Bowie, who the Blazers took second in the 1984 draft, with Michael Jordan’s name still on the board.

In recent years, the players picked second don’t appear like they’ll amount to much, either, though there is still time. Victor Oladipo, last year’s number two pick, seems just fine. But Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Derrick Williams, Evan Turner and Hasheem Thabeet all appear to be miles away from living up to that level of expectation.

Parker is entering the league with a rebuilding Bucks team, and playing his whole life at winning programs like Duke University and Simeon Career Academy high school, he hasn’t experienced much losing. He seems prepared to handle whatever his first season may bring, however, and said his brief professional experience at Summer League in Las Vegas has helped prepare him to meet that challenge.

“I definitely learned that winning isn’t guaranteed, especially in the Summer League,” Parker said. “So I just have to have that gratitude, and just be grateful for every win that I get. If I have that attitude, then we’ll bring some good things to Milwaukee, and hopefully bring those out into the playoffs if we get the chance.”

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Phoenix At Dallas
When: 7:30 PM ET, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona (Phoenix), Fox Sports Southwest (Dallas)
Prediction: Mavericks 98, Suns 92

Oddsmakers currently have the Mavericks listed as 6-point favorites versus the Suns, while the game’s total is sitting at 202½.

Forward Michael Beasley scored a season-high 25 points in the loss to the Spurs and has played well in two of three games since Hunter took over. Beasley started the first 20 games of the season but his production slipped and Gentry decreased his minutes. Beasley had 19 points in Hunter’s debut and was splendid by hitting 11 of 16 shots against San Antonio. Guard Jared Dudley also had a superb shooting night by going 10-of-12 en route to 23 points. Dudley had tallied just 11 points over the previous two games.

Last time out for Phoenix, they were a 108-99 loser as they battled the Spurs on the road. The Suns earned a push in the match as a 9-point underdog, while 207 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Team record: 15-29 SU, 18-24-2 ATS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of last 7 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of last 8 games
is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing LA Lakers are 4-6
After playing San Antonio are 5-5
After a loss are 3-7

Guard Roddy Beaubois reached double digits for only the second time all season when he scored a season-high 19 points in the loss to San Antonio. Beaubois’ only other double-figure outing came when he scored 11 points in the season-opening victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. “Just trying to be more aggressive because I haven’t been myself lately,” said Beaubois, averaging just 3.5 points this season after scoring 8.9 per game last season. Coach Rick Carlisle was highly impressed with the performance. “He was terrific,” Carlisle said. “To me, it’s not the points, it’s the energy, the enthusiasm and the disposition and it’s up to him. If he plays like this, he’s got a chance to secure the backup (point guard) position and he’ll challenge for the starting position.”

The Mavericks were a 113-107 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Spurs. They failed to cover the 2-point spread as favorites, while the total score (220) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 18-25 SU, 23-20 ATS
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of last 7 games when playing Phoenix
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
Before playing Portland are 8-2
After playing San Antonio are 7-3
After a loss are 3-7

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