https://youtu.be/UnN-CuTyO8k
Strings of DNP-CD’s followed by random late-season scoring clinics when the games no longer matter. That is what Jabari Parker’s career has been reduced to. And I am NOT happy about it.
Last season, Jabari scored nineteen in the season closer for the Kings after appearing in just one pre-bubble game for them. Now, Jabari scores eighteen in the season closer for the Celtics after spending the whole season glued to the Kings’ bench (he got on the court in three games for them) and then getting picked up by the Celtics and, again, barely playing, even after Jaylen Brown went down. Jabari was a DNP-CD in the three games before this, which shows how much the Celtics value his offensive contributions (hint: it’s not very much).
This is ridiculous. Jabari is a high-end scorer in this league. Sure, he doesn’t play defense, and, sure, he’s stated that he doesn’t think defense matters in the NBA because all the players are too good, but he’s proven himself to be an efficient scorer at volume. That’s gotta count for something, right? And before you come at me with your fancy “on-off” numbers which are supposed to prove that Jabari is a net negative everywhere he goes, just get that out of my face. I already looked at those numbers and Jabari was actually a net POSITIVE when he played for the Wizards, which means it’s possible for him to play winning basketball. He just has to be in the right situation.
I am HEATED. I am UPSET. If I knew how to make the emoji with smoke coming out of its nostrils, I would use it here, but I don’t know how to make that emoji. If the NBA is going to disrespect Jabari like this, the Bucks should take him back and show the other 29 teams what commitment to a player looks like. I’m not even being funny right now. This needs to happen. The mistreatment needs to end and the Bucks are the ones who can end it. And if Jabari ends up tanking the Bucks with his lack of defense, then I’ll pretend I never made this suggestion and was never in support of the idea. So there.