Scouts believe Jabari Parker will stay at Duke

That is awesome. Love seeing a young guy going back to work on his fundamentals. Funny thing is he is probably more ready than Embid or Wiggins.

 

I'm a Duke alum/fan, and Jabari returning would really help me remove the awful taste that first round exit left. With Okafor joining the team, Parker can stop playing out of position and act as a true stretch four. It would be a very fun season.

However, neither Chad Ford nor the NBA GMs have a clue as to which way Jabari is leaning. In terms of development, he won't get much more at Duke, at least not offensively. As such, I don't expect him to come back.

 

take the money

 

If Jabari stays an extra year, it must really mean that God hates the Utah Jazz.

But I just can't see a way, sorry. It would be defying every logical and historical precedent set before the man. He would be risking his draft stock if he doesn't dominate EVEN MORE than he did this year. He would be risking his health if something like a season ending injury were to happen. And there's not really much upside either. Luol Deng left after his freshman year and STILL managed to graduate from Duke by doing summer courses.

Some people in football have stuck around that extra year in college, but that's just because they're dumber and feeling stronger ties to "loyalty", having been forced to stay in college at least three years anyways. That doesn't exist in basketball, and I'm sure a smart guy like Parker will weigh his options once finals are over and see that the obvious answer is to declare.

And all this is coming from a Duke alum too btw.

 

Screw the tankers.

That's fix 'em.

 

He comes back, Duke's winning it all. Okafor, Tyus Jones, Winslow, and Greyson Allen + Jabari? That's a stacked team, and with a coach like Coach K, they're easily gonna be favorites

 

bold statement from a team thats lost to mercer and lehigh in back to back 1st rounds

 

We actually made it to the Elite 8 last year. But I get your point.

 

one step closer to dante not going to the lakers

 

Eh they'll be the favorites but hardly a lock to win it all. Just look at Kentucky after their dream class. Obviously they're in the Final 4, but only landed an 8 seed after starting off in the Top 3 nationally.

 

The other thing to note about Duke next year, beyond the Kentucky reminder, is that Coach K has not had any success with this "one-and-done" model. It's been in place for what, eight or so years now? I forget. Anyways, he's gotten 3 so far of what I would consider blue chip "one and done" type guys, and with all three he has disappointed when it comes time to March performance.

Kyrie Irving was a fluke; I mean, that kid was so good, and they were returning NCAA champions and All-Americans in Singler and Smith as seniors...Coach K later remarked, and I agree with him, that if Irving did not hurt his foot that year Duke would have had a chance to go undefeated. The level of talent on that team rivals 1999 for most talented Duke team ever not to win it all.

But the Austin Rivers Duke team had a hugely disappointing finish. That's the one that lost to Lehigh as a #2. And honestly of all the former Duke players, I hold the least allegiance to Rivers. He just never did seem to buy into the culture there, and even in the NBA now you can see how his entitled attitude is holding him back from reaching his best potential. His dad has the same cockiness.

And then this Jabari Parker team also lost in the first round to a #3. It was a hugely flawed team, one without any kind of center besides redshirt frosh Marshall Plumlee who only played garbage minutes until the end. Parker is a natural SF, Carmelo Anthony type, and they had him playing C half the minutes out there! What a shame. That's probably the only reason anyone would choose Wiggins over him too; he was playing out of position half the time. Skills-wise I didn't see anyone in NCAA better than Parker this year. I don't know why his shot suffered so much down the stretch though...that thing was pure as can be early on.

Sorry. Long story short, Coach K has his worst years when his best players are freshmen. All his four championships he had upperclassmen-heavy cores, guys who were coaches on the floor and had experience and fortitude in crunch time.

So next year, when our best players again are likely to be our freshmen, my money still would not be on Duke winning it all. First, that's a safe bet to make regardless of what team you are talking about. Second, who will we have out there to lead? It's gonna be Cook as a senior (who really regressed this year, I have to say I expected a lot more out of him), then Sulaimon and Jefferson as juniors, then everybody else. Hood ain't staying. Parker if he comes back will become our best player, and he alone might be enough to provide the experienced talent that Duke needs to go far.

Ok so I won't completely sell us off. I'll leave it at this: Duke without Parker will be a preseason top 5 team simply because of Jones and Okafor; but Duke with Parker should be preseason #1 and should be expected to make the Final Four. There. I know. Insert the TL;DR pics now. Whatevs. If Parker stays I'll be surprised, but I'll also be ecstatic. A lineup of Jones/Sulaimon/Parker/Jefferson/Okafor would represent the college version of Lob City.

 

Great stuff...I agree re: Austin Rivers. He just wasn't a fun player to watch, way too selfish. I heard that most of the players were actually glad when he declared for the draft - that's how much they hated playing with him. When Austin Rivers is your "best" player, you aren't going to go far. I think that 2011-2012 team is a classic example of an overranked team. They simply didn't have enough talent.

As for the 2013-2014 team, they had a plethora of talent, but it didn't necessarily fit together as a whole. Coach K even stated earlier in the year that if the team gets hot, they can go far, but they rely too much on low percentage shots to be consistently dominant. We just didn't have a low-post presence to help out on defense and allow Jabari to stretch the 4 spot. This year had less to do with K's one & done model as it did with pure team fit. Plumlee didn't develop as expected, and it hurt the team.

Next year, without Parker, I agree - they won't go far. Who is going to lead this team? Cook and Sulaimon? They are too mentally weak to rely on as leaders, and Cook is likely permanently out of the starting lineup. I really hope Jabari stays, but should he? No. He's ready for the NBA. Only reason to stay at this point would be to enjoy life as a student for one more year.

 

I really think Sheed will finally have his breakout season as a junior. Also Coach K went with a 2 PG lineup alot this season so I wouldnt be surprised to see Cook starting in the backcourt with Tyus and Sheed and Jefferson-Okafor up front. That's IF Jabari leaves obviously...

 

Parker will declare. It would be irresponsible not to, though that is his choice to make.

If he stays and doesn't take his game to another level next year, it could cost him a lot of money. He should talk to Marcus Smart.

 

Unless he's going for a real degree and will stay 2/3 more years to finish it. I would respect him if he stayed to get something, but if it's to improve his skills as it stands he will get better training in the NBA.

 

Might as well stay the whole 4 and be a Duke Legend

I think parker will be a OK/Good Player, maybe 3 or 4 time all star if he goes to a good team, but superstar I dont see. He will be exactly what he is now in the NBA just slightly less effective so I dont think staying at Duke would hurt or help him. He should stay get a degree try to break some records and be the big man on campus as long as he can. I think he will fade into the NBA background. 16 - 17 ppg, 4 - 5 rpg, 4 apg

 

Parker could use an extra year so it would be a really smart decision on his part so long as he doesn't get hurt.

 

Hope he can go get that degree in the Summers and Winter breaks. A bachelors is very fulfilling.