Scouting Report
Jabari Parker is the full package when it comes to an offensive side of the basketball. Parker is an elite talent with sound fundamentals and a great feel for the game. Along with his skill set, Parker’s intangibles were highlighted early on in his college career. Leading his team in points per game (19.1), rebounds per game (8.7 rebounds per game), and second in minutes per game (30.7), Parker’s statistics only reflect his importance to the Blue Devils in just his one-year tenure with Duke. Some additional facts also stand out:
1) Parker was awarded the Wayman Tisdale Award, awarded to the best freshmen in the country.
2) Awarded “Team MVP”, only 1 of 2 freshmen to receive award at Duke under Coach Krzyzewski.
3) Had a player efficiency rating of 28.4, second amongst all players in the ACC.
Areas of concern for Parker are his defense and physical condition for the NBA. One of the biggest transitions from college basketball to the NBA is athleticism, where it becomes obvious that a much more athletic and fast game is played on the professional level. Will Parker’s conditioning hold him back?
Andrew Wiggins is arguably the most athletic player in the draft. One of the most hyped basketball prospects to come out of high school in the past 20 years, Wiggins showcased his talents during his one-year stance at Kansas this past year, leading his team in points per game (17.1), minutes per game (32.8), and to a respectable 25-10 record. These statistics may not seem eye-boggling, but consider the following:
1) Kansas plays in and the toughest conference in the country, the Big 12. They also won the Big 12 Championship.
2) Wiggins notched back-to-back 41 and 30 point games (at West Virginia and versus Oklahoma State, respectably) when Joel Embiid was out with his foot injury.
3) Awarded Danny Manning Award, given to the most outstanding player at Kansas.
Areas of concern for Wiggins include lack of refined offensive skills (shooting, passing) and intangibles. The question arises for Wiggins: does he have that killer instinct to be a top-level player in the league? Only so much can be analyzed through his interviews with the media.
In summary, Wiggins has undoubtedly one of the highest ceilings of any player in this draft. Unlike Parker, who is the more complete player coming out of college, Wiggins’ is still an unfinished product, in terms of having the basketball fundamentals and skills to play as a productive wing in the NBA. However, the upside for Wiggins is unquestionably sky high.
How The Cleveland Cavaliers should be approaching the #1 pick.
For the Cavaliers, I can’t see them going wrong with choosing either Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins. With Jabari Parker you’ll have immediate production on your roster. Parker’s sound fundamentals and feel for the game were highlighted at Duke, and is certainly a player that can give you 15-20 points per game his first year.
On the other hand, Andrew Wiggins is clearly the more unfinished product. I doubt his offensive production will be on par with Parker’s during the early stages of their careers, but Wiggins already possesses the elite athleticism that will allow him to play with the NBA’s premier players. With Andrew Wiggins you’re looking at a player who will be a key contributor to your team, but don’t expect him to fully flourish in his role until the next 2-3 years.
Parker vs. Wiggins much like LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant?!
In terms of NBA prospects who are making their first impressions on the NBA, you better believe it. In comparison of the two, LeBron James was the more complete player in terms of his athleticism and feel for the game. Kobe Bryant, who was also the top basketball recruit coming out of high school, was viewed as an “unfinished product” who had the potential to reach stardom in 3-5 years, which he eventually did. Both players started at different levels when first coming into the NBA as well. LeBron was expected to carry the offensive load for the Cavaliers (20.9 points per game, 39.5 minutes per game), while Kobe Bryant was earning few minutes coming off the bench for the Lakers (7.6 points per game, 15.5 minutes per game).
Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins will both be expected to play big roles for their teams their first year in the league, so it’ll be interesting to see how they compare to one another statistically. As of now, Parker is the better overall player, but Wiggins has the greater upside and potential.
SportsKop’s Prediction for the Cavaliers
With a new, unproven coach in David Blatt and a solid core of young players, the Cavaliers need to be looking for immediate productivity from their draft pick.
It’s obvious that the last year, when the Cavaliers selected Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick (we saw where that went), it was simply a bad pick. With the Cavaliers striking a pot of gold (again) and receiving this year’s number pick one once more, they must select the most-dependable and most certain-to-succeed player in the draft class, to make up for the complete uncertainty in last year’s pick.
Cavaliers’ fans are expecting an immediate impact player to come out this year from this draft class. Although there isn’t a small window on the team to make the playoffs, the window for improved team performance hasn’t expanded much over the past 4 years (when LeBron James left).
Kyrie Irving is an all-star in route to reaching superstardom in his league, but if he doesn’t receive the proper supporting cast he’s sure to leave Cleveland like the last Cavalier who didn’t have a supporting cast in Cleveland (we all know who that is).
I believe Wiggins has the greater upside when compared to Parker, but the Cavaliers can’t make this draft pick in hopes of him possibly fulfilling that upside. Ultimately, another all-star caliber player needs to play alongside Kyrie Irving. The overall more NBA-ready player should be selected by the cavaliers, who is Jabari Parker. Parker is the more polished and fundamentally sound player, and should be the number one pick in the draft.
* Note: This article was written by Liem Nguyen.
* Note: This article was written by Liem Nguyen.
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