We profile the forward from Duke.
Week Of: November 10 – November 16
Amidst all the “tanking” going around in the NBA this season, the general census was that even if you miss out on Andrew Wiggins you can still get Jabari Parker or Julius Randle. However Parker (or Randle, for that matter) wanted none of that, and early in his college career he is showing he’s every bit as good as Andrew Wiggins and he’s making a very strong case to be the first overall pick.
When watching Parker you instantly notice how smooth he is offensively. The Chicago product has a beautiful three point jumper and he’s a bully on the block. Parker is simply a gifted shooter; he drains shots on a consistent basis with his feet set or off the dribble. In three games at Duke, Parker has scored 22, 27 and 21 respectively while shooting 68.8% from behind the three point line, and he’s the first Duke player to ever score 20 points or more in each of his first three games.
Another one of Parker’s offensive strengths is that he is capable of generating good looks from mid-range thanks to his size. He has a high release point which makes for a beautiful fade-away shot. This also allows him to be really solid in post-up opportunities.
Parker has a very strong frame (6’8”, 241) so he’s more than capable of finishing at the rim. For his entire career Parker has mainly been hyped as an SF but as far as I’m concerned he definitely has the abilities to be just as good as a PF. Thanks to having great instincts Parker is a very good offensive and defensive rebounder, he’s currently averaging 8.3 boards per game for the Blue Devils.
One of my favorite aspects of Parker’s game is his ball-handling. He’s already acted as a point forward on multiple occasions for Duke. He can bring the ball up the floor in transition or in the half court. These are just natural skills Parker possesses that really can’t be taught.
So far Parker is looking like an extremely efficient player. He has a PER of 39.4 and also boasts an offensive rating of 139.3 and a defensive rating of 100. Parker has a great basketball IQ, he always looks under control and will make the extra pass.
As tremendous as Parker has been on the offensive end so far, there are still a few concerning aspects in his game. Parker has very subpar foot speed, he may not have the quickness to get past quick SF’s and this can lead to him settling for low percentage shots which has already been a problem for him.
Defensively he has flashes plenty of strengths and weaknesses. His size, length, smarts and competitiveness have all played to his strength so far but his foot speed is a noticeable weakness. Parker lacks ideal lateral quickness and will struggle as a perimeter defender against really quick wings (another reason why I think PF might be a better fit). Some have also questioned his effort on defense but I don’t think this is of too much concern.
Right now Parker really looks like a special, elite talent and I can’t wait to watch him to continue to grow over the years. He absolutely has that killer instinct and demands the ball in late game situations; something I love to see in a player. His play makes it easy to see why so many teams are already writing this off as a forgotten season so they can land one of these exceptional talents.
Player Comparison: Carmelo Anthony
Next Week’s Report: Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona, FR
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