Prospect Examination: Jabari Parker

"Jabari could not have been better," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He is the epitome of what you would want a basketball player to be -- outstanding every day on the practice court and in the classroom and a very humble young man. He had a fantastic freshman year and is so deserving of the opportunity to play in the NBA and follow his dream."

He was so good that his High School (Simeon) uplifted their "No freshmen on varsity" rule just for him, not even Derrick Rose had that uplifted but Jabari Parker did and having a rule like that uplifted for a freshmen means he's a very good basketball player. Parker has been talked about since his high school senior year and was thought of to be the leader of the "Year of the Freshmen" in college basketball and for the most part he certainly was having one of the best freshmen seasons in recent memory. Despite his surprising early exit in the NCAA Tournament by Mercer he is a virtual lock in the Top-3 of this years draft.

Unlike other college athletes, Parker actually took his time to think about declaring for the NBA Draft. After Duke was upset by Mercer in the round of 32, Parker would go on to call his college career "incomplete" which appeared to indicate that he was leaning towards returning for his sophomore year and team up with another Chicago product, childhood friend, former AAU teammate and 2015 NBA Draft prospect Jahlil Okafor ( cousin of Emeka Okafor ). Parker is the 5th Blue Devil to be one-and-done joining Corey Maggette, Luol Deng, Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers.

"If I feel like there are things I could improve on or things I left, like during the season, then I will probably come back," Parker said. "A deciding factor is where I'm going to grow the most, whether it's in the NBA or even in college, the learning experiences that I need as far as [growing as] a basketball player."

"I love the whole attitude of ‘staying in college,’ because I want to take advantage of it. Getting a free education is big time in my family." Parker said. "Everything in my city is negative, [The media] try to bring it down so much with the violence and I’m an African-American male in my community…going to college and that’s big time. I want to represent them in the best form, the best manner just to keep them close to my heart so they can see that there’s a young [guy] out on the South Side doing big things."

Despite being the afterthought to Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins, many thought Wiggins had more potential than Parker mainly because of his athletic ability.  The athletic ability of a player should never be the judging point as to how good a player could be because if that was the case then Kevin Love would've never gotten drafted back in '08. Parker may not have dunk contest athletic ability but he is athletic — more like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony athletic.

Regardless of how you look at it, Parker is to Durant as Wiggins is to LeBron. What I mean when I say that is in all rankings and mock drafts, Parker was ranked No. 2 to Wiggins and in the NBA Durant usually finishes second behind LeBron and it even got to a point where Durant publicly said he hated being known as No. 2 because it's been like that his whole entire life.

Parker excelled tremendously this season at Duke and was very impressive with his high IQ and desire to score along with rebounding at a high rate and despite his low assists totals, he isn't a selfish player as his seasonal stats may fool the naked eye. Parker is a very burly young man with great speed and can get to the rim at will and could finish with a emphatic dunk or a contact layup along with averaging about six free-throws per night .  

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
13-14	19.1	8.7	1.2	1.1	1.2	0.473	0.358	0.748

Year	PER	USG	TS%	ORtg	DRtg	WS	TRB
13-14	28.1	32.7	0.558	115.0	99.3	5.5	17.1

Just looking at Parker's advanced stats you could tell that he was just dominant this season without a unprecedented 28.1 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and a ridiculously high 32.7 Usage Rate (USG)  which shows that he was very active this past season along with sky high  115 Offensive Rating (ORtg) and 99.3 Defensive Rating (DRtg).

Parker has shot better than most forward/guards that have entered the draft in past years. He isn't the best shooter but once he gets hot it's a forgone conclusion and in the NBA his shot will become scary good and evolve just like Anthony's and Durant's. Parker is smart enough to realize that if his shot is having a night off then he should just drive to the rim consistently and being the threat he is, he is likely to be fouled. For a guy 6-8 it's very intriguing to see someone of that size with impressive passing skills and ball-handling skills which makes him a bigger threat on offense as a scorer or play maker.  With his 7'0" wingspan Parker can disrupt passing lanes which helps makeup for his lack of defensive skills.

Parker this season struggled against bigger and longer opponents than him and will struggle against a few Small forwards but as his career matures that won't be much of a problem. The 19-year old also doesn't have great lateral quickness on the defensive end which allowed other forwards to go around him to either make a play or score which led Coach K to bench him sometimes in the closing minutes of a game. He also sometimes becomes unaware of what's going on defense and needs to improve his post defense. There are better players in those categories than Parker but none of them have as great as work ethic as him to improve.

There have been players in the past that have been hyped up but couldn't execute on the court, Parker is not one of those players as he has exceeded expectations. Parker is the most NBA-Ready player in this years draft and Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Joel Embiid (Kansas), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Julius Randle (Kentucky) and Marcus Smart (Oklahoma St.). Parker is 6'8" 241-pounds which is similar to some current NBA players as in Paul Pierce, Luol Deng and Carmelo Anthony. To me Parker is the best player in this years draft and is a definite future All-Star and is at the top of all his peers in the draft.

This season Parker has been bombarded with multiple comparisons from Luol Deng to Carmelo Anthony to Kevin Durant to Paul Pierce.

"I think he’s having that Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant-type impact on the game," Grant Hill said. "His versatility is through the roof. He can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions, handle the ball, post up, shoot from long range. Then there’s the intellect. And the beauty of his game is his personality. He’s 100% bought in, he’s emotionally invested and that’s the sign of a champion. He has an incredible feel for the game and it’s something that’s hard to quantify."

"There’s a lot of Melo in him as far as guy that can stretch you to the 3-point line," UCLA coach Steve Alford said. "He can drive the basketball. He creates space off the dribble to get jump shots. He can take you to the post, so I just think he’s a very, very talented, gifted player. And you don’t see a lot who are this polished 10, 11 games into their freshman year." But Parker is more satisfied with the comparison to Melo saying It’s a good comparison, He mastered the fundamentals. He’s always good at his craft. He works on it and that’s a person I’ve been looking up to, so yeah, that’s good compliment."

With so many NBA comparisons going on with future NBA prospects, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant points to technology as most of the youngsters in today's game having skills before their time.

"You can basically go to [search] your favorite player and watch film," Durant said. "You can go on YouTube and type in 'LeBron James' and watch every move he does, break it down and work on it. It's simple. When I was coming up you had to figure it out. I'm seeing [young] guys shooting fade-away and Euro-step floaters. Where are they getting this stuff? They're just watching these guys thoroughly [on video] and breaking it down. Some of these kids have access to going to my camp, or LeBron's camp or D-Wade's [Dwyane Wade's camp], getting 1-on-1 instruction. It's amazing. The game is growing."

In today's day-and-age we are so used to seeing athletes declare for the draft or college in fancy ways if it's via press conference, national TV or at a location where something special happened; Jabari Parker is different as he declared for the draft in a well written letter to Sports Illustrated — Who else does that?

"Ultimately, I boiled my decision down to two simple questions," Parker wrote. "Which environment -- college or the NBA -- offers me the best opportunity to grow as a basketball player? Which environment -- college or the NBA -- offers me the best opportunity to grow and develop off the court? The answer to both questions is undeniably the NBA."

"There is something else. My father, Sonny, played in the NBA," Parker wrote. "I know firsthand that the career span of a pro basketball player is finite. The lucky ones play until their mid-30s. With that perspective, I shrink my professional career with each year that I remain in college. It's ironic, but true."

Parker is showing great admiration and appreciation for joining the NBA and is already promising to give it his for whichever team drafts him in June.

"I realize how much of a privilege and an honor it is to join the ranks of the NBA,” Parker wrote.“I will do everything in my power to help deliver championships to the franchise that drafts me. At the same time, I recognize the obligation to represent the league in an admirable way off the court."

I don't get very fascinated with players on and off the court but I am with Jabari Parker as he is what the NBA needs as Parker is becoming a true man before his years and has gained my support and possibly others more than any other college and possibly pro athlete and with something people admire — respect. Parker plans on returning to school to finish what he just started as he is already thinking of life after basketball and he isn't even 20 yet. He had a 3.7 GPA in high school and is a honor student at Duke; despite not completing his Mormon mission, he remained faithful to his religion as he constantly carries the Book of Mormon and does much charity work in his community.

"My days as a Duke student are not [over]. I intend to graduate from Duke while I'm in the NBA," Parker wrote. "I was an honor student when I arrived at Duke, and I'd like to graduate as one. I know some people will say this is unrealistic. Others will say, why bother? The fact is that I have many interests beyond basketball. I'd like to write a children's book. I am interested in various business aspects of the entertainment industry. And I'd like to work with corporate America in one way or another. A college degree from Duke will help with each of these aspirations."

"I want to follow in my father's footsteps as a role model to youth," Parker wrote. "especially those kids who need the most help. My dad created the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation, which has helped countless boys -- including me -- develop into manhood and stay out of trouble."

Jabari Parker clearly has his head straight and is a great example of what a African-American athlete should aspire to become because most of them just don't cut it as role models. 

Some will put on a smile and say some stuff to the youth for the camera trying to boost their image and the next day end up in jail or have a negative report written up about them. Parker and LeBron James are the two role models in the NBA that personify that term. Once drafted, Parker will bring true maturity to the locker room along with a All-Star caliber skill-set which will make him on the better NBA players from now in 10 years and just like Laker legend guard Kobe Bryant, I see "Great Potential" in him.

Best fits: Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers

NBA Comparisons: Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant

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Prospect Examiantion: Rodney Hood

"I wish we had him for more than one year, because the growth that he’s had in this year is terrific, and it’s because he wants to be coached and he takes responsibility,” Duke coach MikeKrzyzewski said. “Anybody’s who’s willing to take responsibility for his or her actions usually does better, and that’s what Rodney does."

You'd think playing for one of the best college basketball programs under a Hall of Fame coach who doesn't age would be good enough to get a player noticed by scouts, but that wasn't the case for Rodney Hood, after missing the 2012-2013 after transferring from Mississippi State to Duke; Hood burst onto the scene during the '13-14 season and was the Robin to Jabari Parker's Batman as both became a 1-2 punch under Mike Krzyzewski. Earlier in the season Hood was thought of as a a potential lottery pick but now it's unclear if he still is but what is clear is that he will be drafted in the 1st-round.

Hood entered this season as one of the best shooters in the nation along with a good ability to drive to the rim and finish with contact which made makes him one of the better offensive players in this years draft. But defensively not to much as he is a one dimensional offensive minded player and defense to him is as foreign as LeBron James missing a dunk.

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	3P%	FT%	MPG
11-12	10.3	4.8	2.0	44.3%	36.4%	65.9%	32.8
12-13	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
13-14	16.1	3.9	2.1	46.4%	42.0%	80.7%	32.9

The mandatory year Hood had to miss after transferring from Mississippi State to Duke to become a redshirt sophomore did wonders for him as a basketball player as all his stats increased with the same playing time with the exception of his rebounding. In a much tougher conference than the Southeastern Conference (SEC) which is the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Hood came out guns blazing and carried his consistent play until the last game of the season against Mercer. What catches my attention is Hood's increase in points and shooting percentage as his PPG increased by 5.8 and his free-throw shooting skyrocketed by 14.8% which shows that his game can improve.

Advanced look at Rodney Hood's improvement

Year	PER	TS%	eFG%	USG%	DRtg	ORtg
11-12	15.5	53.5%	52.4%	16.8%	105.6	114.5
13-14	20.1	59.0%	55.0%	23.8%	107.0	122.5

Stats don't lie, especially advanced stats and it showcases Hood's bigger opportunity in Durham as he took a chance and showcased his talents showing his skill set to the average viewer, fans and people in NBA front offices as he increased in most advanced stats categories from his freshmen season at Mississippi State.

Hood won't be the No. 1 pick and the jury is still out if he will even be a lottery pick, he has been overshadowed by freshmen phenom forward and teammate Jabari Parker who is a guaranteed Top-3 pick and franchise changing player. Playing with Parker has benefited Hood because when scouts are watching a Duke game and their focus is mainly on Parker, they begin to notice Hood who hasn't gotten the credit he deserved due to the media driven hype of Parker. Teaming up with Parker has led more scouts to look at Hood and having more nationally televised games to help create a fan base; another thing that has benefited Hood with the team-up is that he is now acclimated to playing with a superstar type player in the sidekick role.  

Add Hood to the list of stretch forwards in the NBA as he also shares a few characteristics that have attracted scouts to Parker — versatile enough to play the SG and possibly the PF in small lineups when shooting is needed, 6'8" wingspan which is nothing special as it matches his height, similar athleticism which isn't the same but is similar, can create his own shot off the dribble, decent post-game when going against a small defender and is a consistent 3-point shooter as more teams in the NBA are taking shots from there. Duke teams are traditionally good and Hood held his own this season as he was leader in the ACC in many categories —3rd in 3PM and 6th in FGM.

As I said earlier, Hood is a offensive minded player which means he has a abundance of flaws in his game, especially on the offensive end. Hood would become a easy scouting prospect for most teams as he rarely goes right which is a huge problem for a athletic wing player going pro because once teams catch onto that then he will be a easy stop; the NBA is filled with elite defenders and teams will force him to go right and put him in a position that he isn't comfortable with. As a offensive player he isn't much of passer as he averages about two assists per game which is similar to Creighton senior Doug McDermott, both are offensive players but don't have a reputation of making plays for others. Hood will need to become a shot creator and have better shot selection.

At 6-8, 215-pounds; Hood has a small body that needs more muscle if he wants to stand a chance against other small forwards then gaining muscle is a must because that position is become one of the more complex and more important positions in the NBA especially since analytically, small forwards which can shoot the ball have more valuable. His slight frame could be one of the reasons why he doesn't drive much and also why he isn't that great of a rebounder.

Like any other college basketball they is heading to the NBA, his weakness is on the defensive end of the court. Hood lacks intensity to play defense and is often take advantage of on that end by other players with a bigger physique then him. His short wingspan could be a reason as to why he only averaged less than one steal per game (0.6) for his college career and also less than one block (0.4) along with a 2.1 defensive win share (DWS) compared to his 5.8 offensive win share (OWS). Chances are, Hood won't become a defensive player and has the potential to be less than average on that end depending on where he lands; if he lands in Chicago then he'll become a defensive player under Tom Thibadeau but if he's in Phoenix under Jeff Hornacek then chances are something like that won't happen. The 21-year old has decent lateral quickness but will need to become a stronger player mentally as his hustle, determination and toughness should be higher.  

In a league with a high demand of shooters it can be expected that Hood will be selected in the 1st round and in my estimation between the 16th and 24th pick and possibly higher if he excels in the draft combine and private workouts. I believe he has somewhat peaked as a player and weaknesses might not change but being a a offensive player he will be role player in the league and could possibly see some playing time in the D-league during the first few seasons of his career.

NBA Comparisons: Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster

Best Fits: San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Rockets & Phoenix Suns

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