Parker, Jabari
BIG BOARD: 2
MOCK DRAFT: 3 Birthdate: March 15, 1995 (Chicago, Ill.) School: Chicago, Ill. (Simien Career Academy) Class: 2014 (OFFICIAL) Height: 6'8" Weight: 235 NBA Position: SF NBA Comparison: Paul Pierce Strengths: Athleticism, Passing Weaknesses: Defense |
Scouting Report 1.0 — 05.06.2014 (Joseph Fafinski)
In a perfect world, Jabari Parker would be the number one selection in an NBA Draft. That being said, this is a loaded draft class and there’s one transcendent player I’ll take over him—Andrew Wiggins. That’s no knock on Parker; I believe his closest comparison in the NBA is a young Paul Pierce. He drains shots at every angle, he’s quick and moves well without or with the rock, and he involves his teammates to a great extent. The only real problem I have with Parker as a prospect is his defensive ability, a trait that ultimately separates him from the aforementioned Wiggins.
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That being said, the potential is through the roof for this 19-year-old from Chicago. Standing 6’8 and clocking in at 235 pounds, Parker’s size tells me he’s NBA ready. His passing is criminally underrated. The numbers he put up in his only season at Duke (1.2 assists per game) don’t do him justice in the least bit. He’s undoubtedly better than Wiggins in this regard. If there’s one game to check out from his freshman year, look no further than the March 8th outing against the hated North Carolina Tar Heels. He knocked down big shots, pulled down 11 boards, and made 10 of 17.
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However, he struggled mightily in the tourney loss to Mercer, which makes me question if he has that assassin’s mentality. Per usual, he looked lost defensively and turned the ball over four times, some of which seemed to come at the worst possible moment. I can’t lie, I think Jabari will be a superstar at the professional rank but he must work this offseason on the defensive side of things. The quickness is there. I just question whether he’s ready to take on the LeBron James’ and Kevin Durants at the next level.
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