While it’s still early, there’s a large enough sample of games to start drawing conclusions from the comparisons of the two forwards taken in the lottery 11 years apart.
Through 24 games, it may sound ludicrous to say Jabari Parker of the Bucks, who is only averaging 12.5 points a game, is having a comparable season to the future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony but they’re closer than some may think.
Jason Kidd has surprised many by leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 13-12 record, albeit in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are currently the sixth seed and if they make the playoffs, it would be a great experience for a team full of many young players who haven’t had a chance to play postseason basketball.
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The depth of the Bucks has allowed Kidd to have a Spurs-esque type of rotation, with 10 players averaging at least 18 minutes a game. This deep rotation has definitely taken some shots away from Jabari Parker and has consequently deflated his numbers.
It’s a little surprising to see Kidd not run as many plays for the 19-year old star-in the-making. Parker’s 12.5 points a game thus far pale in comparison to the 21 points a game Carmelo Anthony averaged in his rookie year but these numbers are deceptive. One thing seems certain, Parker won’t be a second pick bust.
Below are their per-36 minute stats. The numbers that stand out here are the shot attempts. Carmelo put up 18 shots a game in his rookie year while Parker is only averaging 13 shots but made a higher percentage of them. They’re both solid rebounders at the forward position and this is one area Parker has shown comes easily to him.
This was predictable, given how rebounding generally translates well from college to the NBA.
| Rk | Player | Season | Age | G | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carmelo Anthony | 2003-04 | 19 | 82 | 7.5 | 17.6 | .426 | 0.8 | 2.6 | .322 | .444 | 4.9 | 6.3 | .777 | 6.0 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 20.7 |
| 2 | Jabari Parker | 2014-15 | 19 | 24 | 6.3 | 12.7 | .492 | 0.2 | 0.8 | .250 | .508 | 2.2 | 3.2 | .688 | 6.7 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 14.9 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/16/2014.
Carmelo Anthony seemed to be more of a pure shooter than Parker is, while Parker seems to be better at finishing at the rim, which he showed in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He went 11-15 and finished with 22 points in this game and has shown that when he gets the shot attempts, he can be a productive scorer.
The formula in Milwaukee looks like its working right now, since it’s hard to imagine them being much better than 12-12 but once the season unfolds, Jason Kidd should start to unleash the rookie and let him be more of a primary scoring option, although Brandon Knight may have something to say about that.
So who’s the better rookie? Through 24 games, Anthony seems to be the more impressive rookie, but not by much. Anthony has shown that he was not only a more dominant college player, but had the ability to score 20+ points a game with a more diverse skillset than Parker has.
Carmelo Anthony had a more balanced attack, showing the ability to shoot, drive, and get to the free throw line.
This may change though, if and when Kidd decides to let Jabari Parker be the franchise player the Milwaukee Bucks have been desperately searching for.