Jabari Parker refuses to assign blame for his current situation in Chicago, but in an interview with K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune, he states, “I kept my end of the bargain.”
Parker hasn’t left the bench for the past seven games and has barely seen the court at all since coach Jim Boylen took over when Fred Hoiberg was fired earlier this month. It’s a situation neither side could have envisioned over the summer when the Bulls gave Parker a two-year, $40MM contract to return to his hometown and become part of the team’s young core.
Parker started 17 games early in the season before Hoiberg moved him to a reserve role. Boylen, with an emphasis on defense and discipline, wasn’t happy with Parker’s effort on that end of the court and pulled him from the rotation completely.
Parker is now waiting as the team and his representatives try to work out a deal before the February 7 deadline.
“I don’t think it’s Jim’s fault,” Parker said. “It’s bigger than Jim. I think it’s the overall organization and the direction they’re going. I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me. I didn’t complain. I never had an argument or confrontation with anybody. I’ve done what I do.”
Although the demotion might suggest otherwise, Parker hasn’t been a complete bust during his time in Chicago. He’s third on the team in scoring at 15.2 PPG and tied for third in rebounding at 6.9 per game. However, at 45.5% from the floor and 29.3% from 3-point range, he is shooting well below his career averages and has been singled out for poor transition defense.
“I give another threat on offense that can help the team,” Parker said. “I’m a willing passer. And I rebound. It’s not just transition defense. Nobody is perfect in transition.”
Even though the second year of Parker’s contract is non-guaranteed, little progress has been made in trade talks. According to Johnson, teams want the Bulls to take on expensive, multiyear deals in return, which the team isn’t willing to do. Parker doesn’t care where he winds up; he’s just looking for a chance to prove himself again.
“Honestly, I just want to play,” he said. “I’ve stayed ready. I want to play meaningful minutes — not 4 minutes and nothing for the rest of the game. I just have to wait for that chance and opportunity. There’s a bigger picture here, so I’m staying prepared and patient.”
His PER 36 put him middle of the pack among 4s. Hes a no-to-minimal defense tweener a la Melo. If you’ve got a stout 5 like Embiid or Gobert you can hide his defensive flaws a bit, but his shooting % are down, he either needs to make better shot selection wherever he goes or shoot less 3s. I was a fan of bringing him to the Sixers in the past if they missed on all the FAs, but 20M isnt going to work it would have to be on the buyout market.
He clearly has put on a ton of weight. I’d bet money if he got his body in shape he’d be a pretty good player. Kind of sad, but just looking at him it’s obvious he isn’t in good physical condition.
It’s not like he already completely changed his life after his second knee surgery or anything.
Sure, he had knee surgery. It’s pretty common in the NBA. What’s not common is getting back on the court when healthy the size of a cow, and completely throwing your career away because of not cleaning up his diet. It’s not like being in physical shape is important in the NBA or anything..
He looks like he ate a basket ball, he can’t guard any 4’s with lateral quickness. He will Be out of the league in 2 years unless he drops at least 20 lbs.
He isn’t a star but… as Z-A says he gets way maligned he isn’t that bad neither. But his best option is away from the Bulls & their loony HC, can’t wait for him to be let go to be given a fair chance in another team, Chicago is completely messing things out so far this year.
Why is ZLV the main scorer in the team? He is inefficient & don’t defend neither, the focal point should be Markkanen way better scorer, shooter & defender.
Markkanen has been out the
Vast majority of the year. The focal point of the team is Markkanen, but he’s still working himself back into game shape. And Parker is an out of shape stiff that pays way less D than Lavine.
It’s unfortunate, because he has a genuinely good offensive game. But the knock on him was always his D – not necessarily his lack of ability, but the perceived effort levels that go along with it. And he’s done nothing in Chicago to change that belief.
Getting an opportunity somewhere else, isn’t going to change anything. It’s completely up to him.
He could probably start with conditioning – he looks to be carrying too much weight, and when you’re getting $40million guaranteed, being in bad shape doesn’t cut it. You’re being paid to be game ready, and he simply isn’t.
Only 20mil is guaranteed, and the way things are going, he is headed for a buyout so maybe less than that…agreed he is out of shape, lollygags on defense (really, he doesn’t even try) and in general thinks he is a superstar.
Regardless of what a neanderthal Jim Boylen is, Parker deserved to be benched. Bulls’ only hope of trading him is someone gets injured on a contender and they need quick help at the 4.
“I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me” means he will be sitting for a while. It means he is blaming others & won’t change. How big-timing of him to absolve “Jim” of blame. Boylen needs to be clearing things up about what kind of noises are allowable from the end of the bench.
The Bucks are lucky to be rid of this aole and they play like it.
A couple players lately have signed big contracts with bad teams (the only teams willing to overpay for them), then forced a trade midseason with their attitude. That way they get that big salary on a good contending team, which they would never be able to accomplish in the offseason.
But it would be a mistake to trade for Parker & his 29% on 3pointers. He was at least supposed to be improving in that area.
If the Bulls would be willing to take Kenneth Faried, who showed he could play when given the chance, I could see Brooklyn trading for Jabari Parker. Atkinson can work with him.
That would be a decent trade. Better than BO, I think the Bulls are holding out for at least a 2nd round pick. Knicks wouldn’t be a bad option.