The year isn’t 2014, and Jabari Parker is no longer a top prospect. I remember that 2014 draft, it was Riggin for Wiggins, and it was clear that Jabari was the 2nd best player in that draft. Oh, how the tables have turned. Wiggins is a fine player, but he wasn’t the number 1 player from the draft he might not be a top 10 player in that draft. If you remember Jokic, and Jerami Grant went in the 2nd round.
If I were to redo that draft it would go. 1. Joel Embiid, 2. Nicola Jokic, 3. Julius Randle, 4. Zach LaVine, 5. Jerami Grant, 6. Jusuf Nurkic, 7. Marcus Smart, 8. Joe Harris, 9. Spencer Dinwiddie, 10. Aaron Gordon. This is still missing out on great NBA players like Clint Capella, Bogdon Bogdanović, and TJ Warren. My point is that Wiggins or Parker probably wouldn’t make the top 15 of that draft.
How does a player go from the number 2 pick to a certified bust floating from team to team? Jabari’s NBA career was doomed from year 3 when he tore his ACL; after that, he suffered shoulder injuries and was never the same.
Before his torn ACL, it looked like maybe Parker was on the right track. In the 2016-2017 season, he averaged a career-best 20.1ppg, on 49% from the field. After that season, the best he has done is 2019-2020, when he was with the Atlanta Hawks and averaged 15.0ppg. Since being drafted by the Bucks in 2013, Parker has been on 5 teams, and Boston will make it 6. It’s not the offensive side of the ball where Parker struggles since he is a walking bucket, but it’s the defensive side. If you’re not going to be a 28ppg player, you also need to play some defense. Jabari knows about his defensive struggles and isn’t shy about it.
I just stick to my strengths. Look at everybody in the league. They don’t pay players to play defense. There’s only two people historically that play defense. I’m not going to say I won’t, but to say that’s a weakness is like saying that’s everybody’s weakness. Because I’ve scored 30 and 20 on a lot of guys that say they play.
Will this signing actually mean anything for the Celtics? Probably not I wouldn’t be surprised to see Parker not on Boston next year, and he will be looking for another team to roll the dice on him. He will add scoring off the bench, which is something Boston has been struggling with. It’s not a bad hope and prayer for this Celtics team that has been a surprisingly let down going only 30-26. I wouldn’t expect to see Jabari play meaningful minutes, though.
