[princejamesParticipant]

His struggles his last four games, will end up being a blessing in disguise for him. I personally think that Jabari has the potential to develop into a perfect basketball player. But in-order for an individual to achieve perfection, you have to be willing to learn from your flaws and your mistakes. In my opinion his foundational all-around skill set is so high, that in-order for him to consistently play at a very high level. He simply just needs to play with focus, concentration, poise, confidence, and aggressiveness, and also make sure that he consistently is trying to make good decisions and the right play.

He’s still the best NBA draft prospect with-in this 2014 draft class, because he possesses the greatest & highest skill level with-in this 2014 draft class. But he has to continue to utilize his all- around skill set in ways that will consistently help him be a high level offensive player. I want to see him get back to utilizing his great post -up skills, midrange shooting skills, dynamic triple threat face-up skills, and continue to utilize his ball-handling skills in ways that helps him be an aggressive penetrator & effective finisher at the rim and/or in ways that allows him to be a great draw the defense & pass to the open man type of play-maker who has the ability to create offensive opportunities for his teammates when needed.

[TarHeelRavenParticipant]

 Nobody is a perfect.basketball player.  Jordan wasnt.  (Not.a.great 3 point.shooter).  LeBron isn’t great from the line.  Jabari is.far.from a.perfect player.  He’s very good.  He doesn’t.defend.well now and isn’t a spectacular athlete.  He will improve a lot.but.perfect?  Please.

[TarHeelRavenParticipant]

 Nobody is a perfect.basketball player.  Jordan wasnt.  (Not.a.great 3 point.shooter).  LeBron isn’t great from the line.  Jabari is.far.from a.perfect player.  He’s very good.  He doesn’t.defend.well now and isn’t a spectacular athlete.  He will improve a lot.but.perfect?  Please.

[jwall1Participant]

Parker is probably the most NBA ready (Smart could make his case too) but that does not mean he is the best prospect. I feel that right now it is a really even race between Wiggins, Parker, and Embiid for the top pick. There really is not a clear consensus #1 pick IMO because this draft is so loaded with talent.

[jwall1Participant]

Parker is probably the most NBA ready (Smart could make his case too) but that does not mean he is the best prospect. I feel that right now it is a really even race between Wiggins, Parker, and Embiid for the top pick. There really is not a clear consensus #1 pick IMO because this draft is so loaded with talent.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Wiggins had NINETEEN rebounds last night, let’s see when Jabari Parker does that.

Embiid also had impressive stats, but both Kansas stars had too many turnovers.

I think Embiid and Wiggins are the top two guys right now, with Marcus Smart at 3.  Parker is at four which might be his FLOOR.

I think the fifth pick is between Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon, Rodney Hood, Gary Harris.

Wayne Selden is a guy who can move into that next tier. 

If a team can draft, this year’s draft could set you up for years.  If not, if your team usually picks busts, you will probably end up with a bust this year too.

If I wanted to get a guy that would ENERGIZE a fan base, I think Wiggins would be the top pick, Embiid at 2, Smart at 3, and maybe even Aaron Gordon at 4 (a Blake Griffin type player). 

The measurements and combines probably won’t help Jabari Parker either, but I doubt he shows up for those.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Wiggins had NINETEEN rebounds last night, let’s see when Jabari Parker does that.

Embiid also had impressive stats, but both Kansas stars had too many turnovers.

I think Embiid and Wiggins are the top two guys right now, with Marcus Smart at 3.  Parker is at four which might be his FLOOR.

I think the fifth pick is between Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon, Rodney Hood, Gary Harris.

Wayne Selden is a guy who can move into that next tier. 

If a team can draft, this year’s draft could set you up for years.  If not, if your team usually picks busts, you will probably end up with a bust this year too.

If I wanted to get a guy that would ENERGIZE a fan base, I think Wiggins would be the top pick, Embiid at 2, Smart at 3, and maybe even Aaron Gordon at 4 (a Blake Griffin type player). 

The measurements and combines probably won’t help Jabari Parker either, but I doubt he shows up for those.

[MUbballfanParticipant]

 I’m not saying I don’t like Jabari, but people on this site love to slurp Jabari and hate on Wiggins. Where are all the threads on how awesome Wiggins is? He had a fantastic game last night against one of the best teams in the country on the road yet no one is talking about it. Only threads about how Parker will get better after his horrible string of recent games. People love to hate on Wiggins.

[MUbballfanParticipant]

 I’m not saying I don’t like Jabari, but people on this site love to slurp Jabari and hate on Wiggins. Where are all the threads on how awesome Wiggins is? He had a fantastic game last night against one of the best teams in the country on the road yet no one is talking about it. Only threads about how Parker will get better after his horrible string of recent games. People love to hate on Wiggins.

[machu46Participant]

Not calling out any individual posters, but I think a lot of people seem to think that "NBA-ready" and "more-skilled" are interchangeable, much like "potential" and "athleticism" seem to be considered interchangeable.  I don’t think that’s necessarily true.

Jabari has a tremendous skill-level, but I think his lack of athleticism and defense contribute to him not being as "NBA-ready" as some people seem to think.  I think this is the same reason that nobody seemed to understand why I said last year that I thought MCW was "NBA-ready".  Sure, his ball-handling and jumper needed work, and his overall skill level wasn’t as good as Trey Burke’s, but his combination of defense, athleticism, and passing ability made him a pretty "NBA-ready" guy in my book.

 

 

 

[machu46Participant]

Not calling out any individual posters, but I think a lot of people seem to think that "NBA-ready" and "more-skilled" are interchangeable, much like "potential" and "athleticism" seem to be considered interchangeable.  I don’t think that’s necessarily true.

Jabari has a tremendous skill-level, but I think his lack of athleticism and defense contribute to him not being as "NBA-ready" as some people seem to think.  I think this is the same reason that nobody seemed to understand why I said last year that I thought MCW was "NBA-ready".  Sure, his ball-handling and jumper needed work, and his overall skill level wasn’t as good as Trey Burke’s, but his combination of defense, athleticism, and passing ability made him a pretty "NBA-ready" guy in my book.

 

 

 

[Ghost01Participant]

 Forget stats for a minute…if you watch Kansas play this year, 99% of the time Embiid jumps out at you more than Wiggins.

Sure this doesn’t mean everything or even that much, but I do think its worth noting.

Parker hasn’t been hitting his shots lately. His athletic ability has nothing to do with him struggling, hence why it has nothing to do with his NBA-readiness. Two weeks ago everyone said he was NBA ready, now there are second thought because he is shooting a low percentage? He has NBA level athletic ability. He can dunk, he can run the floor, he can finish. There are plenty of players in the league such as Melo and Pierce with his athletic traits that have succeeded. 

 

 

[machu46Participant]

1. Agreed regarding Embiid and Wiggins

2. I never said Parker is or isn’t NBA-ready.  But I do think his "NBA-readiness" is overstated.  He has significant flaws that will hamper his ability to contribute right away just like every other top prospect.  For Wiggins, it’s the ball-handling and the tendency to not try to take over.  For Embiid, it’s the fouling tendency and overall just continuing to hone his skills.  For Parker, it’s the defense and athleticism.  "NBA level athletic ability" is extremely broad.  There are guys like LeBron and guys like Boris Diaw, and they’d both technically have "NBA level athletic ability".  I think we can all agree that they are not even remotely close to one another athletically.

3. Melo and Pierce were both more athletic in their young days than Parker currently is.  Watch Melo’s highlights in college and compare them to Parker and it isn’t really that close.  Melo was extremely quick for a SF and often left his man in the dust.  Parker doesn’t separate nearly as well as Melo did, and I think a lot of it has to do with his underwhelming athleticism.

At the end of the day, I think Parker will be a very good player.  But his athleticism is definitely a concern, especially if he were to take a year or two off for his mission like some have speculated he might.  Yes, Parker’s shot is just off right now, but even before his recent drought, there was a noticeable difference between how he played when he was defended by NBA-level athletes versus when he wasn’t.  He really struggled to create good shots for himself when better athletes defended him, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

 

 

 

[Ghost01Participant]

 His athleticism has NOTHING to do with what he will do in the NBA.

He is as athletic as Melo or Pierce were, in my opinion, and I watched both play in college.

He is athletic enough to play in the NBA. He will be able to get his shots in the NBA. He isn’t so unathletic that NBA players are going to be forcing him to be completely complacent on offense. He takes a lot of difficult shots, his game isn’t based around blowing around guys or getting wide open looks at all.

Defensively, you couldn’t be more right about Parker. HOWEVER, there are tons of young NBA players that are awful defensively, and this has nothing to do with if they can play. Kyrie Irving has been a disaster on defense in his young career. James Harden is abominable. But both are very very good NBA players because of their offensive ability.

There is a difference between saying Parker will never be super athletic by NBA standards and that he will struggle on defense, as opposed to saying he isn’t NBA ready. Plenty of young players enter the league and still succeed immediately to an extent. If Parker wants to be a GREAT player, he will have to improve defensively. But I would argue Melo still is a below average defender, and is still considered a top 15 NBA player. Harden probably top 10. 

Your points are right, your conclusion that those flaws mean Parker will struggle in the NBA are not true. He will struggle in those areas. MCW is good in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean that because one year the "tall athletic guy with questionable skill" has flourished means that is the case every year. 

 

 

 

 

 

[J_01Participant]

 The problem with Parker actually does have to do with his athleticism but not his jumping ability. From what i’ve seen he does actually have a pretty high vertical evidenced by the highlight dunks he’s had this year. Jabari has good length, strength and is pretty athletic but he doesn’t seem very quick. He lacks that quick first step that helps you get by defenders. In games against teams where an athletic wing was put on him he has struggled. He’s a good jump shooter and a lot of his points are gonna come of jump shots but without that quick first step he’ll struggle when his jumper isn’t falling.

 Also his lack of quickness is why he struggles on defense but as evidenced by guys like Pierce who is not very quick and is still able to be a pretty good defender. Parker can probably become a good enough defender but right now he’s not very good on that side of the ball. As you mentioned however a lot of the NBA’s best young players are not very good defenders like Kyrie and Harden. However to truly be a franchise player you usually have to be a good two way player so Parker like Kyrie and Harden is gonna have to work on that side of the ball.

Parker is NBA ready due to his size and ability to score but he will struggle in the NBA. He is most compared to Melo and Pierce but he lacks something both have that has allowed them to thrive in the NBA. Melo has that quick first step that allows him to beat his man and create the separation needed to get his jumper off despite his lack of elite speed. Pierce is a very smart defender which has allowed him to become a good defender despite his lacks of foot speed. A quick first step is probably out of the question unless him getting in better shape and conditioning gets him quicker.  Parker can however develop traits like Pierce on defense for him to truly become a true two way franchise player.

 

 

[Ghost01Participant]

 I agree with most of what you said. 

One thing I actually disagree with you is the "first step" thing. Not that it’s not true, that I honestly don’t think it hinders Jabari’s game that he doesn’t have a great first step. He gets around guys from time to time, but he really is more of a pull up guy. He creates space, and in turn creates his own shot, which is what I look at. I know he’s been cold lately, but their is a decent sample size of him knocking down an array of mid to long range jump shots where he didn’t blow by anyone. 

Case in point can be made with Wiggins: All I heard about was his first step, which he rarely uses, looks uncomfortable putting the ball on the ground, and goes in a straight line without any cutting. It looks bad to be honest. This is a super athletic guy, who just doesn’t get how to create his own shot. Parker does. But you are mostly right about every point you made there, I just don’t think Parker’s lack of blow by ability is that bad for him. 

 

 

[J_01Participant]

I see your point about Jabari but i`m not completely sold on if he can create space against nba level athletic defenders. He has struggled against athletic defenders where they`re able to keep up with him and its harder for him to create that space. Whether or not he can do it and become a true number one option in the NBA like Pierce was or another great celtic Larry Bird is yet to be determined and we`ll just have to wait and see.

Now to Andrew Wiggins I disagree with you that he rarely uses his incredibly quick first step. I`ve watched most of his games and not a lot of defenders really been able to stay in front of him. At the start he was playing passive and just looked like a guy trying to fit in but as the season is going on he is becoming more comfortable and is becoming more aggresive and looks to attack more. He is actually a pretty crafty player and has used his quickness to split defenses and glide to the rim for a basket. There are times however where his lack of strength prevents him from finishing through contacts. That should improve as he gets stronger.

 Lastly saying he goes in a straight line without cutting is something I disagree on. He actually moves pretty well without the ball and a lot of his easy buckets are from beating his man backdoor. It`s clear you believe that Parker will be the better player while I believe Wiggins will be the better player. We see their games differently and that`s fine we won`t know for sure who will be the better player until they get to the NBA.

 

 

 

[J_01Participant]

I see your point about Jabari but i`m not completely sold on if he can create space against nba level athletic defenders. He has struggled against athletic defenders where they`re able to keep up with him and its harder for him to create that space. Whether or not he can do it and become a true number one option in the NBA like Pierce was or another great celtic Larry Bird is yet to be determined and we`ll just have to wait and see.

Now to Andrew Wiggins I disagree with you that he rarely uses his incredibly quick first step. I`ve watched most of his games and not a lot of defenders really been able to stay in front of him. At the start he was playing passive and just looked like a guy trying to fit in but as the season is going on he is becoming more comfortable and is becoming more aggresive and looks to attack more. He is actually a pretty crafty player and has used his quickness to split defenses and glide to the rim for a basket. There are times however where his lack of strength prevents him from finishing through contacts. That should improve as he gets stronger.

 Lastly saying he goes in a straight line without cutting is something I disagree on. He actually moves pretty well without the ball and a lot of his easy buckets are from beating his man backdoor. It`s clear you believe that Parker will be the better player while I believe Wiggins will be the better player. We see their games differently and that`s fine we won`t know for sure who will be the better player until they get to the NBA.

 

 

 

[Ghost01Participant]

 I agree with most of what you said. 

One thing I actually disagree with you is the "first step" thing. Not that it’s not true, that I honestly don’t think it hinders Jabari’s game that he doesn’t have a great first step. He gets around guys from time to time, but he really is more of a pull up guy. He creates space, and in turn creates his own shot, which is what I look at. I know he’s been cold lately, but their is a decent sample size of him knocking down an array of mid to long range jump shots where he didn’t blow by anyone. 

Case in point can be made with Wiggins: All I heard about was his first step, which he rarely uses, looks uncomfortable putting the ball on the ground, and goes in a straight line without any cutting. It looks bad to be honest. This is a super athletic guy, who just doesn’t get how to create his own shot. Parker does. But you are mostly right about every point you made there, I just don’t think Parker’s lack of blow by ability is that bad for him. 

 

 

[J_01Participant]

 The problem with Parker actually does have to do with his athleticism but not his jumping ability. From what i’ve seen he does actually have a pretty high vertical evidenced by the highlight dunks he’s had this year. Jabari has good length, strength and is pretty athletic but he doesn’t seem very quick. He lacks that quick first step that helps you get by defenders. In games against teams where an athletic wing was put on him he has struggled. He’s a good jump shooter and a lot of his points are gonna come of jump shots but without that quick first step he’ll struggle when his jumper isn’t falling.

 Also his lack of quickness is why he struggles on defense but as evidenced by guys like Pierce who is not very quick and is still able to be a pretty good defender. Parker can probably become a good enough defender but right now he’s not very good on that side of the ball. As you mentioned however a lot of the NBA’s best young players are not very good defenders like Kyrie and Harden. However to truly be a franchise player you usually have to be a good two way player so Parker like Kyrie and Harden is gonna have to work on that side of the ball.

Parker is NBA ready due to his size and ability to score but he will struggle in the NBA. He is most compared to Melo and Pierce but he lacks something both have that has allowed them to thrive in the NBA. Melo has that quick first step that allows him to beat his man and create the separation needed to get his jumper off despite his lack of elite speed. Pierce is a very smart defender which has allowed him to become a good defender despite his lacks of foot speed. A quick first step is probably out of the question unless him getting in better shape and conditioning gets him quicker.  Parker can however develop traits like Pierce on defense for him to truly become a true two way franchise player.

 

 

[Ghost01Participant]

 His athleticism has NOTHING to do with what he will do in the NBA.

He is as athletic as Melo or Pierce were, in my opinion, and I watched both play in college.

He is athletic enough to play in the NBA. He will be able to get his shots in the NBA. He isn’t so unathletic that NBA players are going to be forcing him to be completely complacent on offense. He takes a lot of difficult shots, his game isn’t based around blowing around guys or getting wide open looks at all.

Defensively, you couldn’t be more right about Parker. HOWEVER, there are tons of young NBA players that are awful defensively, and this has nothing to do with if they can play. Kyrie Irving has been a disaster on defense in his young career. James Harden is abominable. But both are very very good NBA players because of their offensive ability.

There is a difference between saying Parker will never be super athletic by NBA standards and that he will struggle on defense, as opposed to saying he isn’t NBA ready. Plenty of young players enter the league and still succeed immediately to an extent. If Parker wants to be a GREAT player, he will have to improve defensively. But I would argue Melo still is a below average defender, and is still considered a top 15 NBA player. Harden probably top 10. 

Your points are right, your conclusion that those flaws mean Parker will struggle in the NBA are not true. He will struggle in those areas. MCW is good in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean that because one year the "tall athletic guy with questionable skill" has flourished means that is the case every year. 

 

 

 

 

 

[machu46Participant]

1. Agreed regarding Embiid and Wiggins

2. I never said Parker is or isn’t NBA-ready.  But I do think his "NBA-readiness" is overstated.  He has significant flaws that will hamper his ability to contribute right away just like every other top prospect.  For Wiggins, it’s the ball-handling and the tendency to not try to take over.  For Embiid, it’s the fouling tendency and overall just continuing to hone his skills.  For Parker, it’s the defense and athleticism.  "NBA level athletic ability" is extremely broad.  There are guys like LeBron and guys like Boris Diaw, and they’d both technically have "NBA level athletic ability".  I think we can all agree that they are not even remotely close to one another athletically.

3. Melo and Pierce were both more athletic in their young days than Parker currently is.  Watch Melo’s highlights in college and compare them to Parker and it isn’t really that close.  Melo was extremely quick for a SF and often left his man in the dust.  Parker doesn’t separate nearly as well as Melo did, and I think a lot of it has to do with his underwhelming athleticism.

At the end of the day, I think Parker will be a very good player.  But his athleticism is definitely a concern, especially if he were to take a year or two off for his mission like some have speculated he might.  Yes, Parker’s shot is just off right now, but even before his recent drought, there was a noticeable difference between how he played when he was defended by NBA-level athletes versus when he wasn’t.  He really struggled to create good shots for himself when better athletes defended him, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

 

 

 

[Ghost01Participant]

 Forget stats for a minute…if you watch Kansas play this year, 99% of the time Embiid jumps out at you more than Wiggins.

Sure this doesn’t mean everything or even that much, but I do think its worth noting.

Parker hasn’t been hitting his shots lately. His athletic ability has nothing to do with him struggling, hence why it has nothing to do with his NBA-readiness. Two weeks ago everyone said he was NBA ready, now there are second thought because he is shooting a low percentage? He has NBA level athletic ability. He can dunk, he can run the floor, he can finish. There are plenty of players in the league such as Melo and Pierce with his athletic traits that have succeeded. 

 

 

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