The Chicago Bulls have ushered in quite the youth movement over the past couple of years. As a result, there is a desperate need for some leadership in this young group.
Fortunately, forward Jabari Parker has taken it upon himself to be that guy. According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Parker is excited about building up the team chemistry ahead of the 2018-19 NBA season.
“It’s going to take time to build that chemistry and those relationships,” Parker said. “All of us being so young is something that’s special and something I’m looking forward to. We get a chance to play off each other. I’ve played with vets where it was like a one-sided relationship and I had to listen. It’s different because we can pick each other’s brains because we’re growing.
“You can’t go anywhere but up because we’re so young. A lot of us haven’t established an identity. We just have a lot of hype. It’s up to us to make that situation good.”
It seems Parker has already gotten off to a promising start after a number of his new teammates made appearances at his basketball camp.
Nice touch by a lot of Jabari Parker’s new teammates, including Bobby Portis, Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr., to make surprise appearance at his youth basketball camp. Player development coach Shawn Respert now addressing campers on importance of being a good teammate. pic.twitter.com/NuKZJb9utJ
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) August 2, 2018
Needless to say, it is encouraging to see Chicago proactively looking to strengthen its ties. As for Parker, it is clear he feels the need to take the initiative.
He is finally returning home after a rough stint with the Milwaukee Bucks. Playing in his native Chicago is not only a bit of a homecoming for him but also a fresh start for his career as well. That said, he is wasting no time in helping to turn this franchise around.
There has been plenty of hype surrounding the Bulls' young core this offseason. However, it is likely that this team will still go through its fair share of growing pains before they start to see significant improvement. They will need to build all the team chemistry they can in order to take on the challenges to come.
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