Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker listed as biggest snubs

Chicago Bulls Jabari Parker and Zach LaVine were listed as the two of the top-25 snubs from Sports Illustrated top-100 players rankings entering the 2018-19 season.

The start of a new NBA season is nearly a month away, which means we are in store for three yearly traditions; team media days, preseason award/season outcome predictions and fun player ranking which are ultimately inconsequential to any of the players’ success.

Sports Illustrated followed this year-end pattern by releasing The Crossover’s annual Top 100 NBA Players rankings. Lauri Markkanen was ranked as the No. 84 player in the league heading into the 2018-19 season; sandwiched in P.J. Tucker at No. 85 and Taj Gibson at No. 83. But, he wasn’t the only Bulls player who made a notable appearance (or omission) on these rankings.

Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker were both mentioned in the top-25 of The Crossover’s biggest snubs from the top-100 list. It was LaVine’s first appearance on this prestigious (?) list and Parker’s fourth consecutive nod.

The Bulls made significant financial contract agreements to both players during the 2018 offseason. While each player has been commended for their abilities as scorers, their exclusions from the top-100 list is because of similar reasons: health concerns and defense.

"“Logically, however, the 23-year-old forward is a walking red flag,” Sports Illustrated’s Rob Mohoney said regarding Parker. “He’s missed 30+ games in three of his four seasons, he’s suffered two season-ending ACL tears, he’s been a clear minus defender throughout his NBA career, and he’s a tricky player to fit into an efficient team offense. To justify his new contract, the 2014 No. 2 pick will need to establish himself as an efficient alpha scorer who consistently requires extra defensive attention.”"

Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver had similar critiques about LaVine.

"“The man can shoot—his form itself is one of the most elegant in the league—but he tends to subsist on empty-calorie jumpers without actually applying much pressure,” Golliver said. “Were he getting to the basket or drawing fouls more often, LaVine might buoy his efficiency enough to break through. That just hasn’t happened, and only seems less likely as LaVine continues to work his way back from an ACL tear. Playing some occasional defense wouldn’t hurt, either.”"

They’re abilities as scorers should not be doubted. During the 2016-17 campaign, Parker scored 20.1 points per game on a 53 percent effective field goal percentage in 51 games before tearing his ACL for the second time.

Jabari still managed to put up 18.9 points per 36 minutes during the 31 regular season games he competed in during the 2017-18 regular season, which is slightly higher than his career per 36 minutes point output.

LaVine improved his scoring efficiency during his first three seasons in the league before he tore his ACL tear in February 2017. He is a dynamic scorer who can put the ball in the basket from all three levels at efficient rates. He struggled to finish around the rim during the 2017-18 campaign, but said he has his jumping ability back after continued rehab during the offseason.

But, scoring alone will not make Parker and LaVine more effective players. They will have to contribute to winning in other aspects of the game, mainly defense, to improve their reputations around the league.

They have the physical capabilities to — at the least — be average defenders. They will just need to consistently focus on being positively productive on the less glamorous end of the floor if they want to make the leap to perceived top-100 players in the league.