Ranking the 7 worst Atlanta Hawks starters of the Trae Young era

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Atlanta Hawks, Jabari Parker (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

5. Jabari Parker (2019-20), started 23 total games

Looking back at recent NBA history, you can make the argument that Jabari Parker is one of the bigger “what if” stories in the last decade. As the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the hype around Parker as he made the jump to the NBA (out of Duke) was high. He had the opportunity and talent to be one of the NBA’s next great scorers. Unfortunately, injuries would play a big part in his early career. And it was something he never could shake off.

After four years in Milwaukee, and one season splitting time between Chicago and Washington, Parker signed a two-year contract with the Hawks in hopes of getting a fresh start. Parker was viewed as a low-risk signing that could potentially pay off next to Young and John Collins. Parker would go on to start 23 games for the Hawks that season but, once again, an injury cut his time on the floor short. He would then be traded to the Sacramento Kings ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.

Parker never saw his talent realized in the NBA and the Hawks were only one of his six stops around the league over his underwhelming eight-year career.