Parker is the Safest Pick

[D.o.s.]

I dunno, we could We Believe it into the 2nd round.

[KCattheStripe]

Good kid, can score in many ways, plays in the flow of the game, off the charts intelligence. Has a clear NBA position at small forward. Not an elite athlete, but elite enough.

What more could you want?

I think Wiggins and Embiid have more potential upside, but neither is the lock to be great in the NBA that Parker is right now. Sorry haters.

I think Wiggins is the best choice for the Celtics, but Parker should be the number one pick.

COol... will he still be on the board with the 10th pick?

Rondo just played us out of a star.  It is what it is.

I forgot, the season ends today

I love when people make a win sound so dramatic.

I mean... the Bulls won the 1st pick despite having 9th best odds back in 2009... took Rose with the #1 pick.  So I guess there's still a tiny bit of hope...

But this team is making a playoff push.  We're picking 8-15.

They've won 3 of their last 9. playoff "Push"

Damage is already done.   

only 5 games out... It's looking like we'll accidentally make it. 

Don't get me wrong... we'll still be a sucky basketball team...but we'll be a sucky basketball team that Indiana will use as a chew toy on in Round 1 of the playoffs.

They have maybe 5 winnable games left the rest of the year.

[LarBrd33]

Good kid, can score in many ways, plays in the flow of the game, off the charts intelligence. Has a clear NBA position at small forward. Not an elite athlete, but elite enough.

What more could you want?

I think Wiggins and Embiid have more potential upside, but neither is the lock to be great in the NBA that Parker is right now. Sorry haters.

I think Wiggins is the best choice for the Celtics, but Parker should be the number one pick.

COol... will he still be on the board with the 10th pick?

Rondo just played us out of a star.  It is what it is.

I forgot, the season ends today

I love when people make a win sound so dramatic.

I mean... the Bulls won the 1st pick despite having 9th best odds back in 2009... took Rose with the #1 pick.  So I guess there's still a tiny bit of hope...

But this team is making a playoff push.  We're picking 8-15.

They've won 3 of their last 9. playoff "Push"

Damage is already done.   

only 5 games out... It's looking like we'll accidentally make it. 

Don't get me wrong... we'll still be a sucky basketball team...but we'll be a sucky basketball team that Indiana will use as a chew toy on in Round 1 of the playoffs.

They have maybe 5 winnable games left the rest of the year.

With the way we're playing... every game is a winnable game.  And there's a heck of a lot more than 5.   Either we're making the playoffs or we're picking in the 8-12 range.

[moiso]

Good kid, can score in many ways, plays in the flow of the game, off the charts intelligence. Has a clear NBA position at small forward. Not an elite athlete, but elite enough.

What more could you want?

Defense

+1. Defense might get better with experience but especially a better body. And getting a pro is not easy or possible for some people no matter what they do. Look at jared dudlley, scal etc

Wiggins imo is the safest bet. Embiid also more on the safe side with higher upside due to playing the center position

Parker is just smarter than Wiggins. Looking at them play, it just seems clear that Parker has a better understanding for the game than Wiggins does. That's going to make him a better NBA player. We don't talk about BBIQ too much, but the fact is that the elite players: LeBron, KD, Dwayner Wade (as much as I HATE that guy) Rondo, CP3 - are all super duper smart players.

He also has that super long wingspan. I'm sure that Parker could figure out elite defense. Defense is mostly hustle (as proof of this, I can play defense and help my team in pick-up, even though I can barely hit a lay-up).

No, defense is not mostly hustle. Lack of hustle will waste talent, but guys like Lebron, Howard, or even Bradley aren't excellent defenders just due to hustle. They are excellent due to their quickness. TA is the same. Artest was great due to his hands and his strength. Battier is more of a thinking man's defender. The mental part of defense is as valuable as the effort, so Parker could manage that.

When you are a top tier team, everyone is giving a high level of effort, so the talent and skill differences in defense will matter.

I mean, will trying harder stop AI from breaking your ankles?

Pickup is irrelevant because you are dealing with guys who aren't trying hard and who aren't being coached. You can't apply that to NBA competition.

Are you kidding me?  Dan Dickau would have been defensive player of the year if he had the hustle of Joakim Noah.

[D.o.s.]

If you think defense is just hustle, you should really read this awesome article on Tony Allen.

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/41439632

[footey]

 I feel the top 3 guys (Wiggins, Parker and Embiid) are creating more separation from the rest of the pack with the season winding down.  They seem to be getting better, especially Wigs and Parker.

[Galeto]

I didn't want to hijack a thread. so since we're on the subject of parker, i'm trying to gather some info.

is parker a "tweener" pf/sf? kinda like ryan gomes? which position would he play in the NBA?

I don't encourage drafting for need. I prefer drafting best player available/most talented. but if parker is of the same mold of sullinger I don't understand drafting him over wiggins. again, i'm uninformed & just going on what little I understand.

Parker's definitely not a tweener.  If he plays some PF, it's to utilize his size and rebounding while hopefully creating a better offensive matchup.  Tweeners are players who lack some combination of size or skill for a position.  Take Aaron Gordon.  He's a tweener because he's not skilled enough for small forward and doesn't possess ideal size or length for power forward.  Or Derrick Williams who doesn't have enough ballhandling or shot creating abilities to be a small forward or the size/physicality to be a power forward. 

Parker's not like either o them because he's extremely skilled. He's going to be one of the top five most skilled small forwards in the game by his first minute in the NBA.

I don't know what to make of his defense.  Appearance-wise, with his wide, untoned body, he just doesn't look like a good defender at all.  It's likely going to cause people to dismiss him as a bad a defender even if he turns out to be a good one just like the defense of his quasi body double, Pierce, has been knocked by people who don't know any better.  I do think that there's little to take away from his defense this year because he's played center a lot of the time.  So he hasn't shown the defensive awareness of a center in his first year at the position, that's not going to be relevant in the NBA.  He has the IQ and effort level to improve his off ball awareness.

I've seen Parker move his feet laterally very quickly and strenuously to stymie dribble penetration.  It's possible he could be a good defender, especially if his athleticism improves with his conditioning.  As much as Wiggins' defense gets lauded, he hasn't been all that great at stopping dribble penetration.   

[McHales Pits]

Parker has been the safest bet since before the season. When the Wiggins hype reached it's peak (before Kansas actually played), I posted numerous times attempting to make the case for Parker over Wiggins for the number one pick. Interestingly enough, Embiid was an unknown at that time.

[LooseCannon]

You're only talking about offense.  Regardless of what he can do on offense, Parker would certainly be considered a tweener if he seemed to be unable to guard either forward position.

What is Parker's value if he has good offensive skills which can create a mismatch at either forward position, but ends up lacking the quickness to guard more athletic small forwards and the strength to guard big power forwards?  Can anyone deny that there is a chance that he ends up as that sort of player?

[Galeto]

You're only talking about offense.  Regardless of what he can do on offense, Parker would certainly be considered a tweener if he seemed to be unable to guard either forward position.

What is Parker's value if he has good offensive skills which can create a mismatch at either forward position, but ends up lacking the quickness to guard more athletic small forwards and the strength to guard big power forwards?  Can anyone deny that there is a chance that he ends up as that sort of player?

Unable to guard is pretty extreme about his defense.  As a small forward, he has the potential to be at least decent defensively.  He's not a Steve Novak on defense with no shot to stop perimeter players from abusing him. When in good condition, Parker's a pretty good athlete. He can move his feet pretty well laterally and has the strength to defend small forwards in the post.  If it turns out that he's a liability on defense, well, his overall value will be dented but he'll still be a small forward who is weak on defense.  Those kind of players exist without being called tweeners.

There is no way Parker is a tweener.  When someone has the perimeter skills he does and enough athleticism to utilize those skills against wing players in the NBA, he's a small forward.

[LooseCannon]

It's possible that Parker would less of a defensive liability as a power forward so that he would best be used as a stretch four, at least some of the time.

Maybe Parker ends up as a smarter, non-headcase, non-pothead Michael Beasley who is a better perimeter shooter but about a similar level of defense.

[fairweatherfan]

Here's an example of some of Parker's defense in a key situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrxzqf5qKVo


I've seen a lot of Duke games lately and Parker is insanely talented, but I'm worried about him in a franchise-type role.  I think the Carmelo comparisons are pretty accurate, and I LIKE Carmelo - I just don't want him as my #1 guy. 

Like Melo Parker has the ability to be good at defense but doesn't consistently put forth the effort (though more often than detractors think).  And on offense he can score from anywhere, draws fouls well, and has great aggression and confidence, but often forces the issue and puts up a lot of junk that he gets away with in college, but will struggle to make work in the NBA.

Don't know.  I could legitimately see Parker winning some scoring titles or coming very close.  Getting some rebounds and a lot of stl/blks too.  But he just seems like the kind of star that top defenses overwhelm and bury when it counts.

[Galeto]

Here's an example of some of Parker's defense in a key situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrxzqf5qKVo


I've seen a lot of Duke games lately and Parker is insanely talented, but I'm worried about him in a franchise-type role.  I think the Carmelo comparisons are pretty accurate, and I LIKE Carmelo - I just don't want him as my #1 guy. 

Like Melo Parker has the ability to be good at defense but doesn't consistently put forth the effort (though more often than detractors think).  And on offense he can score from anywhere, draws fouls well, and has great aggression and confidence, but often forces the issue and puts up a lot of junk that he gets away with in college, but will struggle to make work in the NBA.

Don't know.  I could legitimately see Parker winning some scoring titles or coming very close.  Getting some rebounds and a lot of stl/blks too.  But he just seems like the kind of star that top defenses overwhelm and bury when it counts.

The primary defensive culprit in your clip is Hood guarding Paige, not Parker.  I thought the clip was going to be about Paige blowing by Parker.  Did Parker need to be more physical and aware so he didn't get pushed out of position by Tokoto?  Absolutely.  Could that be fixed?  Absolutely.

I'm not in love with Parker.  His profile is a difficult one in terms of not fitting wings who've been on championship teams.  I wish he's shown more playmaking proclivities and cared enough about conditioning to show what his full athletic potential is.  That said, when I see a video about him making Jabari Bars for Duke students camping out for basketball tickets, I can't help but want to root for him on the Celtics.  He's just so likable.  It wouldn't surprise me though if Exum or even Smart with his great defense, competitiveness and playmaking profile turn out to be higher impact players.

[Galeto]

Parker is playing with no lift against Virginia. He also seems winded and it's affecting his ability to get and keep a body on his man and grab defensive rebounds. He's not safe if he plays like a C- athlete. I think it's due to conditioning but it's concerning. 

[JBcat]

Parker is playing with no lift against Virginia. He also seems winded and it's affecting his ability to get and keep a body on his man and grab defensive rebounds. He's not safe if he plays like a C- athlete. I think it's due to conditioning but it's concerning.

Isn't this at least their 3rd game in as many days?  With all the double teams thrown his way I wouldn't be surprised if he is a little winded.