NBA
The Jabari Parker Era in Chicago is Likely Coming To An End
It seems as if Jabari Parker’s time with the Chicago Bulls is over. According to Malika Andrews, Parker will be out of the regular rotation for the Bulls. There have been a lot of changes in Chicago lately, and this is the newest change. Whether it is for the better or worse, it’s time to take a dive into what happens to both Parker and the Bulls.
Chicago’s Own
Parker signed a two-year, $40 million deal with his hometown Bulls in the off-season. Honestly, it didn’t seem like that bad of a signing. The Milwaukee Bucks didn’t know where he would fit and Parker was looking for a way to get his own shine. Why not go to your hometown where you’re loved? It seemed like a decent fit at the time. The Bulls are a young, inexperienced team and maybe Parker finds his game here.
Things got off to a shaky start when Parker admittedly said “No one gets paid to play defense.” That took a ton of people by surprise. This is right after Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart signed a four-year deal to stay in Boston. Sure, Parker is known for his offensive game, but certainly Parker should’ve worked on his defense at least a little, right?
The Failed Experiment
I don’t want to over-exaggerate, but Parker has been one of the worst defenders in the league this year. Sure you can look at his defensive rating (112) and notice how bad it is. However, to truly know what it is like to play with him, you have to watch.
Parker is essentially useless on the defensive end. He doesn’t switch on guys and he has no sense of urgency to play help-defense. The lack of athleticism, along with his shaky defensive IQ, have been a huge reason why Parker has struggled defensively.
It isn’t just his defense that’s bad, his offense has been terrible too. He’s shooting the worst of his career from the field at just 46% and his three-point shot is under 30%> He’s not shooting the ball as efficiently as his first four years in the league and all of his shooting numbers have gone down. According to Parker, the Bulls wanted him because of his offensive game. It isn’t the best look.
Chicago in Shambles
The Bulls haven’t necessarily been an ideal spot for a lot of players. They have one of the youngest rosters in the league and the head coaching situation has been a mess. The front-office hasn’t exactly been very good when it comes to signings. Obviously, there was nothing they could do about Derrick Rose. Injuries came into play for Rose and the Bulls had to move forward.
Then the Bulls signed Dwyane Wade, who is injury prone at this point, and Rajon Rondo to go along with Jimmy Butler. That’s three alpha-male leaders who were around younger players and a head coach in Fred Hoiberg, who was coaching in college the year prior.
It’s no secret that the front-office is known for making terrible fits. Zach LaVine, Lauri Markannen, and Parker are three guys who are offensively gifted, but can’t guard a soul. Even the fit offensively seemed shaky, there was no way three wing-players were going to gel together without a ball-controlling point guard. Kris Dunn and Cameron Payne don’t come close to fitting that description.
The Future of Parker and the Bulls
A buy-out of Parker’s contract seems very possible at this point. With Parker out of the regular rotation, he may be hitting free-agency a lot sooner than expected. It’s clear that they rather go with LaVine and Markannen as their future. They’re less inury-prone than Parker and show a lot more promise and energy in Chicago. Where would Parker go though?
Would Parker be better with teams in hopes of making the playoffs like the Detroit Pistons? They can use some depth. Maybe the Charlotte Hornets? Maybe the Denver Nuggets or the San Antonio Spurs who are currently going through a ton of injuries? I don’t know if there is a specific team that Parker fits on. But he has to figure it out soon, before he’s looking at possibly being out of the NBA.
As for the Bulls, they should try their best to trade Parker. The problem is when you show that he won’t even be making this team’s rotation, you clearly show no faith in the young man. The Bucks did the same thing without even attempting to re-sign him. You may have to cut your losses and let LaVine and Markannen flourish as the one-two punch of the team.
Time is Ticking
Parker has very little time left to get his act together. He has had two teams give up on him in the span of less than a year. He’s only 23 years-old, but he needs to find a way to fit on an NBA team and show he still something to show on both sides of the ball.
It’s probably difficult for him, considering he has torn his ACL in his left knee twice. However, one of his role models, Rose, is having a fantastic season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Hopefully he finds that same motivation.
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Writer Brandan Verrastro
