Milwaukee Bucks: What Will Jabari Parker Show An A Rookie?

Even as one of the top prospects in June’s talent-packed NBA Draft, there wasn’t too much talk about Jabari Parker. Being one of college’s many freshman to enter the draft, there was still plenty of talk about Parker, but not as much as fellow high picks Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid.

Wiggins was a potential superstar, Embiid was an unstoppable center who saw vast improvement in only a few years of playing basketball, and then there was Parker. While Parker was recognized as the 2014 class’s most NBA-ready prospect, he didn’t have anything flashy about him.

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He wasn’t the guy to throw down some sick tomahawk dunk from the free-throw line, wasn’t the guy to get on a hot shooting streak and drop 40, wasn’t the guy to make some flashy pass to a cutting teammate. Instead, Parker took the boring–yet effective–route, racking up his points in the paint while using his range to stretch the floor when Duke needed it. There was nothing flashy about Parker, and as training camp is in full swing, he’s still the same player he was in the spring.

Parker probably won’t make as many highlight-reel plays as Wiggins will this season, but will instead play his game and officially start his campaign towards being the NBA’s next star.

Ever since entering the league–and even back at college–Parker has drawn many Carmelo Anthony comparisons. At the same height of 6-foot-8 and only a five-pound difference in weight, both play a similar play style. With their big frames, Parker and ‘Melo take advantage by posting up either smaller opponents or slower big men. Both like to drive the paint and get lots of points down low.

‘Melo has proven to have more of a killer instinct behind the arc than Parker–who made 36 percent of his 106 attempts from 3 in freshman year at Duke– but these stats are only from one collegiate season. With much more pressure to carry an offense in Milwaukee than last season at Duke, Parker will need to shoot the three ball a lot more. If (and when, most likely) that happens, we could compare the two more equally in that department.

Here are highlights of both players, and after watching them, you will see the crazy resemblance in how they play.

Carmelo Anthony:

Jabari Parker:

Parker is coming onto the Bucks at an interesting period of change. After an odd coaching switch, Jason Kidd is now in Milwaukee to become Parker’s first NBA head coach.

Kidd has not made it clear what his starting lineup will be this season. Parker mentioned he should see time at small forward and power forward, as Kidd likes his and Ersan Ilyasova‘s perimeter versatility. It wouldn’t make too much sense to see Parker starting at the 4 as Ilyasova would be forced to come off the bench. Brandon Knight will be starting at point guard, Giannis Antetokounmpo (the Greek Freak, to make it easier on me moving forward) is reserved at shooting guard (could play any position, really), Parker should start at SF, Ilyasova at PF, and Larry Sanders at center.

At times when Parker would play at the 4, the Greek Freak would move up to the 3, and either Jerryd Bayless or O.J. Mayo would play SG. Either way, Milwaukee should have some scoring come off the bench, and should have plenty of young, blossoming talent in the starting unit.

As far as 3-point shooting goes, the Bucks could certainly use their array of shooters to help improve upon their 15-win 2013 season. In that horrific 2013 season, Milwaukee only shot 35 percent as a team from behind the arc. In 2014, that number should ascend.

With the addition of Parker, Kidd’s willingness to take advantage of his shooters with size, and Knight’s improvement as a facilitator along with being a scorer (hopefully), the Bucks could become a pretty interesting team on the offensive end.

Focusing back on Parker, where he plays really will determine what specific role he has with the Bucks this season. If he mainly plays at small forward, Parker will most likely see his perimeter game improve. Ilyasova has game in both the post and on the perimeter, and it seems Kidd would like to play “4 out, 1 in.” The 1 in will be Sanders, and the 4 out will be, well, everyone else.

Parker will drive if a lane is open, but if Kidd sets up Milwaukee’s offense primarily outside of the paint, he should see lots of mid-range and three-point looks.

No matter what position Parker plays at this season, he’s a beast, plain and simple. Parker wants to play in Milwaukee, and with his skill set, hopefully has the motivation to develop into a really good player.

After a 15-67 season, Kidd and the Bucks will get their second overall pick involved as much as possible. Whether he’s bullying people in the paint, or splashing threes over their head, Parker will prove to the NBA that he is in fact among the league’s next class of stars.

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Milwaukee Bucks: What Will Jabari Parker Show In Rookie Season?

By Dylan Hughes | Oct 4, 2014