Jabari Parker
After taking almost a month to decide, Jabari Parker has finally decided to forego his sophomore season at Duke and declare for the NBA Draft. After a first round upset by Mercer knocked Duke out of the NCAA Tournament, Parker publicly acknowledged how difficult this decision was going to be, stating his time at Duke felt “incomplete” after the loss. Parker made his announcement Thursday via an essay (and subsequent interview) that he wrote for Sports Illustrated. In it, he explains his thought process and reasoning behind ultimately choosing to the enter the NBA. He also elaborates on why he has decided to put his 2-year Mormon mission on hold, which has been somewhat of a tradition in his family when they turn 19.
Overall, I think he made the right decision. Of all of the prospects, he is the most NBA ready and could probably average 15-20 points per game and 8 rebounds in the league right now. That fact that he was truly struggling with this decision, something many with NBA aspirations overlook, is indicative of his professional readiness. The modesty and confidence of making his announcement through a self-written essay for S.I. fulfilled everyone’s desire to know what he was doing and why, while not being attention-seeking and arrogant a la The Decision; further illustrating his maturity. He writes in the essay he has aspirations to be more than an NBA player and intends to still get his 4-year degree from Duke in the offseason. It will be interesting to follow his on and off court career.
Scouting video will be up soon.