Jabari Parker ahead of important Hawks season: last exit Atlanta?

Jabari Parker was once considered an upcoming star in the NBA and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the second pick in 2014. However, the forward tore his cruciate ligament twice and got onto the siding. Even in his hometown he was unable to assert himself, partly through his own fault. Parker is now making one last attempt at the Atlanta Hawks. Can he finally knock the buck over?

The NBA is a fast-paced business, so that’s not just one of those phrases like “It’s a make-or-miss league,” it’s a fact. For Jabari Parker, however, the characters have changed much faster. Five years ago there was still a discussion about whether he should be the first pick. Ultimately, the Milwaukee Bucks chose him in second place – ahead of Joel Embiid.

Together with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Parker should lay the foundation in Wisconsin, what should go wrong? Parker dominated high school in Chicago, he was the best player in the country and graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. But instead of a subscription all-star, Parker has become a wanderer, at the age of 24 he is already playing for his fourth team. The Atlanta Hawks ultimately offered a two-year $ 13 million deal that could be Parker’s last chance.

Jabari Parker: Two cruciate ligament tears stop the ascent

There are many reasons why it didn’t work out in Milwaukee, primarily his injuries. After his first cruciate ligament rupture, Parker started out hopefully, putting on an average of over 20 points in 2016/17, only to then suffer the same injury again. In the meantime, the Greek freak rose to become an absolute superstar, Parker only played a supporting role.

Parker could no longer integrate properly under interim coach Joe Prunty, the Bucks canceled the sails in 2018 in the first playoff round against the Boston Celtics. In the Free Agency, Parker was unable to agree on a new deal with Milwaukee, the parties were far apart.

Even then, the gap between aspiration and reality had become too big. The former No. 2 pick continued to see himself as a potential star (and wanted to be paid that way), but the Bucks system was now tailored to Antetokounmpo, while Parker was now more often mocked, as more and more small clips of some of it non-existent defense made the rounds.

Jabari Parker: Defense? I am not paid for this

The Chicago Bulls didn’t care, they gave the Hometown Hero $ 20 million for the upcoming season, which Parker used as an opportunity to say the following about his defensive weaknesses in a radio interview: “Nobody in this league is paid to be him Defense plays. “

There may be a grain of truth in this statement, but when a player says so, who obviously wasn’t interested in defending, this was a hit for the media as well as the fans. This also became Parker’s undoing with the Bulls. Early in the season, a new coach was installed in Jim Boylen who placed extreme emphasis on discipline and defense.

Suicide sprints and a number of training sessions were on the agenda, in games Boylen sometimes made hockey substitutions when he swapped all five players at the same time. Parker, on the other hand, was completely removed from the rotation, and a trade in Washington in February was tantamount to a redemption.

In Washington, on the other hand, it wasn’t about much anymore, the playoffs were a long way off and so Parker was able to work a little on his image, to rehabilitate himself. As a Sixth Man, he occasionally put emphasis on the bank, but it wasn’t enough for a new contract.