NBA Draft Rumors 2014: Jabari Parker 'doesn't make a ton of sense' for Cleveland Cavaliers

Early on in the NCAA Basketball season, it looked like former Duke Blue Devils’ forward Jabari Parker looked like a sure-fire bet to go in the top two and was probably the favorite to be the number one overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

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However,Parker doesn’t seem like he is in the mix to be selected first-overall like he once was.

Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders does not believe that Parker is the best fit for the Cavaliers with the top overall pick.

"The big knock that is keeping Parker from being the surefire No. 1 pick is his defense, another big deterrent that will likely keep the Cavaliers from investing in him. They cannot afford to have any more subpar defenders if they’re truly going to take the next step forward, not just become a team that is one-and-done in the playoffs at best.While Parker is talented enough to be the top pick for a lot of teams, he just doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Cavaliers, especially with the pieces in place now. With some roster shuffling, which appears to be inevitable no matter who they select, he could be a much better fit. But, as assembled, it’s hard to imagine him being any higher than third on their draft board."

The Cavaliers will likely choose between a pair of former Kansas Jayhawks’ teammates, center Joel Embiid and forward Andrew Wiggins.

Parker averaged 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game for the Blue Devils last season. He shot 47.3% from the field, 35.8% from beyond the arc and 74.8% from the charity stripe.

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NBA Draft Rumors 2014: Jabari Parker ‘doesn’t make a ton of sense’ for Cleveland Cavaliers

By Andrew Melnick | May 27, 2014