Parker was a standout freshman at Duke in 2014, the year in which Duke was quickly knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by the relatively unknown Mercer University. While their season was a letdown, Parker’s wasn’t. He dominated at Duke, averaging 19.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He shot 35.8% from behind the arc. Parker was going to be the next superstar to enter the NBA.
Then, Andrew Wiggins shows up. Wiggins dominates at Kansas, averaging 17 points and six rebounds per game himself. Fans watch in awe at the athleticism that Wiggins showed on a nightly basis, throwing down flashy dunks, electrifying the crowd. Lost behind the spectacular season of Andrew Wiggins was Jabari Parker, who quickly became an afterthought.
Wiggins would go on to be the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Wiggins was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Parker fell to the Milwaukee Bucks. Before Wiggins could make his NBA debut he was shipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a package deal that brought Kevin love to join forces with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James in Cleveland. Parker, however, had his home in Milwaukee where there was no thought about trading such a young and talented player.
In his second season in the NBA, Parker left much to be desired. He did not have a bad season by any means necessary, but many expected to see more than what Parker brought to the table. He averaged 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The stats were not bad for a Milwaukee team that was very underwhelming. However, Parker really did not play the way he was advertised to be able to after coming out of college. He quickly transformed to nearly a full-time power forward last season, playing 90% of his minutes at the four spot, according to basketball-reference. The way he scored the ball was most confusing. Parker was supposed to be a marksmen mid-range shooting and respectable three-point shooter after leaving Duke. His three-point shooting in year two barely improved, jumping from 25% to 25.7%. He was not a threat from anywhere on the court except for when he was close to the basket. Parker found his best success scoring the ball as a cutter to the basket.
As you can see, Parker was very dangerous as a slasher. With his quickness and athleticism, Parker was a menace when cutting to the basket with or without the ball. While that is a good ability to have, Parker will never be an above average starter in this league if he cannot develop another weapon in his offensive skill set. Whether Parker becomes the knockdown mid-range shooter he was advertised to be at Duke, or raises that three-point shooting percentage to a respectable percent, he will be holding himself back, as he truly possess some abilities that could make him a special player. He is only 20-years old, meaning there is plenty of time for Parker to expand his game.
Parker has many other solid attributes, such as his athleticism, his quickness, and his ability to rebound, but if he cannot become a threat to score from anywhere but under the basket, then Parker will forever find himself forgotten behind the man who was drafted before him, Andrew Wiggins.
The Milwaukee Bucks have a lot of potential. With players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton coming to form as key pieces for the Bucks future. Parker needs to be the next player to take that step. If Parker does, the Bucks become a much more dangerous team.
