Chicago Bulls: An abrupt end to the Jabari Parker era

Jabari Parker‘s time with the Bulls seems to be coming to an abrupt end as fans have not seen him play since last Thursday’s loss against the Orlando Magic. Interim coach Jim Boylen said that Parker will remain a part of the team. 

“Going forward, he’s part of our team, and it’s not about the individual, it’s about the team. It’s about playing your minutes the best you can,” Boylen said. “We’ll see what his minutes are going forward.”

Parker did not take any blame for having his playing time reduced to nothing. “It’s not on me,’’ Parker said when asked after a loss to the Magic. “I do my thing to work hard, and I do what’s expected of me. And I’ll continue to do that. That’s what keeps me satisfied.’’

Part of this decision had to do with the injury bug that hamstrung the team since September that coincided with Lauri Markkanen returning on December 1. Parker signed a two-year $40 million deal in the summer, but half of the $40 million is a team option for a second year. This means that the Bulls can either trade him or decline his second year option, which would make him a free agent at the end of the season.

Parker was selected as the NO. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft and has had injury issues when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. He made headlines when he said in a July interview that players don’t earn their money playing defense. Still, Parker is averaging 16 points a game along with 7 rebounds and two assists a game. A revealing quote in that interview was when Parker was asked do you agree with the idea that, being a good scorer translates to the defense, if you can score, you can prevent opponents from doing the same. He responded by saying, “Well, I don’t know I just stick to my strengths.”

If he does not have a viable future in his hometown, where could he be traded if anywhere? Does a playoff contender really want Parker considering teams such as Oklahoma City have players that have proven to be impact players that merit the $20 million salary Parker is owed this season?

When Parker said, I only focus on my strengths, that was revealing because it sent the message that he is not that interested in improving on his weaknesses. The league is encouraging more scoring and that is what is happening. However, that does not give Parker an excuse to not be a multi-faceted player. Part of the reason why he has seen his playing time dissipate is because of his inability to challenge layups and to be a wall at the rim. His lack of urgency while guarding his man is another disturbing trend, the effort seems to be half-hearted too often.

His attitude has been poor at best and who knows what is going on but the Bulls would be best suited to trade Parker before the trade deadline in February. It is understandable to sign with your hometown team no matter what city and sport. The issue is that he signed with the Bulls at a time with too much commotion surrounding the team at all levels. Internal distractions such as what has happened with the Bulls can affect how some perform on the court. His poor attitude and what the Bulls have turned into has created a snowball effect that will haunt the team as long as he is with the Bulls.