Parker is the most skilled forward prospect we've seen in a long time in the NBA.
He's been playing out of position at power forward due to his extra weight going into the season after a foot injury, and his Duke team's lack of size.
He brings NBA strength and he hasn't even lifted properly yet- He's been banging with the big boys down low in the NCAA against the best power forwards and centers in the NCAA and he's still holding his own.
He should turn his weight into muscle in the NBA- or at least drop most of the extra 20-30 pounds he put on after the injury once he gets into an NBA regimen.
Triboy is blabbing on about how bad his footwork his which is hilarious because this guy has had the best footwork of all the elite prospects at small forward/power forward for YEARS now.
Triboy I don't know why you hate Jabari so much- probably because he takes the shine away from your waterboys like Aaron Gordon and TJ Warren, but he's pretty much the most complete offensive player in a draft for years- this is why Ainge has been wet for him for so long.
He's got the footwork and anticipation of a heavyweight boxing champ- and the strength to go with it. He's got an utterly perfect shooting stroke and can shoot off the dribble, pulling up and has a lovely fade away jumper that he uses posting up against opposing power forwards.
He's going to have options in the NBA as either a small forward or a power forward because of how good his footwork is. Get him in the gym and eating correctly on a strict NBA diet and he'll drop 20 pounds quickly. This kid has a 7 foot wing span, can rebound and has one of the highest bball IQ's, if not the highest, in this class. You'll notice his passing ability and his ability to read offense and make the correct play. In a worst case where he doesn't lose any weight and packs on 30 pounds of muscle, can you imagine a power foward that's a mix between Jarred Sullinger's passing ability and Paul Pierce's dribbling handle with speed and footwork like Pierce? (As well as the jumpshot and three point stroke?)
The defensive issues are his biggest weakness, but he's the kind of personality that loves to get better and win like all the great NBA players have. He's got that killer swag mentality and he wants the ball in his hands for the big moment.
He's never had to play defense until college because he's always simply outscored everyone he's ever played and that's all he's had to do. He's beginning to understand defense at a higher level but he's been playing out of position and carrying extra weight which will hurt him on both ends.
The good thing is that he will soak up knowledge like a sponge. He doesn't have attitude problems and he's reasonably down to earth/in check because of his religious upbringing. (I'm agnostic by the way). He wants to get better and he wants to win- this is why NBA GM's aren't worried about his defensive problems at 19 years old. He's smart enough to learn and even the poorest athletes can be okay defenders as long as they are smart about it. Jabari is by no means a poor athlete though and with his 7 foot wing span and intelligence he should transition after his 2nd or 3rd year.
I've been watching this kid since he was 14 years old and Danny Ainge was following him around the country.
I can't remember the last time I saw a 6 foot 8 forward with this kind of footwork, natural anticipation and instincts. I also haven't seen a top prospect player since Steph Curry with such brilliant shooting mechanics from all over the floor. Thinking back about guards, I'm stumped to think of the last 6 foot 9 guy with footwork and shooting skill like Jabari.
He's going to be an All Star. If he can get his body under control and his hormones calm down, he'll hopefully lose some puppy fat and turn into a Hall of fame candidate.
*Killer mentality with no one but 'god' on his side.
*Best shooting mechanics for a player his size in years. (Kevin Love?)
*Footwork of a 2 guard, similarly to Paul Pierce with incredible hesitation and dribble control moves.
*Strength and size of an NBA player at 19 years old. Hormones of a 19 year old.
*Basketball IQ and composure common among all great NBA players.
There's a reason he's still a consensus number one pick among GM's.