Jabari Parker officially declares for NBA Draft

[HU5KIES]

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/dcV5Y

He is a sure top 5 pick in every mock draft I've ever seen.

 

[aceboon]

good, a frontline combo of him and Okafor would've been scary

 

[champs99and04]

Anybody else not feeling the Duke #1 hype heading into next year? Okafor and Jones are studs but they lose their two best players from a team that lost in the first round. They'll be good, but I think defense will be their undoing in the tournament just like it was this year.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Every stud who declares for the draft makes their former team weaker and makes our guys more likely to stay (bumping them down the projected draft order). Keep them coming!

 

[Dogdeacon]

I think he could go #1 overall. I think Wiggins, Embid have huge variances in what kind of NBA players they'll be. Parker will very likely be an all-star or cusp all-star. I'd be picking between him and Randle if I had #1 leaning towards Jabari.

 

[champs99and04]

I think he could go #1 overall. I think Wiggins, Embid have huge variances in what kind of NBA players they'll be. Parker will very likely be an all-star or cusp all-star. I'd be picking between him and Randle if I had #1 leaning towards Jabari.

Picking Parker #1 is defensible, but no way you can pick Randle over Wiggins or Embid.

 

[BUHusky]

Smart decision by him. I can't recall the last time one of these stud freshman returned to school and actually increased their stock. If anything it hurt their stock to varying degrees.

 

[dogfan96]

Biggest no-brainer ever.. if you're a guaranteed top 5 pick, you go

 

[scotty0330]

Will not impact their grad rate unfavorably. Duke they only measure grad rate on folks that stay around for four years.

No brainer he is the best talent available in this draft IMO

 

[jdubct]

The deeper the talent in the draft, the better for my Boston Celtics.

 

[Scoe]

Good and a smart decision by him, I was afraid he was gonna stay, Duke will still be good but if Parker had stayed that puts Duke as the heavy favorites.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

There was never any realistic chance he was staying. Good to see he finally put that thought to rest.

 

[RayRay19]

The deeper the talent in the draft, the better for my Boston Celtics.

That is my exact thought. I would love to have Wiggins Parker or embid. My belief is if we don't get any of those 3 we take smart/Exum and trade rondo. But Randle and Gordon are also possibilities...

 

[Scoe]

Its good for him he did wait on his decision rather then making an emotional decision and I would hope coach K told him the logical thing to do which is to go pro.

 

[Matrim55]

Great player - one of the few Dukies I didn't hate.

Good luck to the kid. I hope both he and Shabazz end up in Boston.

 

[UConn17]

That is my exact thought. I would love to have Wiggins Parker or embid. My belief is if we don't get any of those 3 we take smart/Exum and trade rondo. But Randle and Gordon are also possibilities...

I would love a combo of Gordon and Bazz and trade Rondo

 

[superjohn]

There is no way Duke should be top 5 next year.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I can't, for the life of me, figure out why Sports Illustrated feels compelled to put an essay by the kid explaining his decision on the front of their web page.

 

[Deleted member 3149]

There is no way Duke should be top 5 next year.

Didn't you hear? When Duke loses, they always move up. It's the rules! Just ask Mercer and Lehigh...

 

[Dogdeacon]

Smart decision by him. I can't recall the last time one of these stud freshman returned to school and actually increased their stock. If anything it hurt their stock to varying degrees.

Nick Stuaskas, TJ Warren, Rodney Hood?!!!

There are sophomores in every draft.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Good decision and if i had the #1 pick id take parker hands down. i think he is going to be a terrific pro. Im not sold on Embiid at all and i dont like the health issues. no way id take Embiid #1. Id rather take Wiggins or trade down and select Randle whos game really translates to the NBA and i think he`ll be a beast.

 

[aceboon]

Nick Stuaskas, TJ Warren, Rodney Hood?!!!

There are sophomores in every draft.

Stauskas, Warren, and Hood 2 years ago were not top 5 picks as freshmen like Parker is this year, Smart last year, or Barnes, PJIII, or Sullinger potentially were in the 2011 draft.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Good decision and if i had the #1 pick id take parker hands down. i think he is going to be a terrific pro. Im not sold on Embiid at all and i dont like the health issues. no way id take Embiid #1. Id rather take Wiggins or trade down and select Randle whos game really translates to the NBA and i think he`ll be a beast.

I mostly agree on Randle, but not 100% confident due to his length and lack of explosiveness. He will be a good player for certain, but I think his range is wide (we agree Parker's is more narrow and better). Randle could be Zach Randolph+ explosiveness or Rodney Rogers (this is prob too low, but let's see what Randle's actual height is).

 

[Dogdeacon]

Stauskas, Warren, and Hood 2 years ago were not top 5 picks as freshmen like Parker is this year, Smart last year, or Barnes, PJIII, or Sullinger potentially were in the 2011 draft.

That's the fallacy of the argument. Everyone should go early folks always pick the highest possible projection and accept that as fact. I think a lot better indication of where someone WOULD have been drafted might be where they DID get drafted. Sullinger slid and was picked too low, but if you read his story that's happened to him at every level. He's a slightly overweight, earth bound kid who knows how to play.
I acknowledge there are some examples of kids who came out early and cashed in on irrational hype. Tryus Thomas comes to mind or Marvin Williams (UNC). But an occasional skyrocketing guy doesn't mean that every guy rumored to be a high pick would have stayed there, every single year there are guys who fall in the draft AND if a guy opts out of the draft it is very likely that he heard something behind the scenes that questioned him or made slipping a real possibility.

 

[NotADimeBack]

Could've won a title with uconn… settled for 1st rd loss to Mercer…

What a great year