All-time All-ACC NBA Mock Draft
By Ynal Al-Ouri
Jabari Parker only played one season at Duke, but it was one heck of a display. He was a highly touted prospected coming out of high school, as many people featured on this list were, but he handled all the pressure in college. Parker averaged 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, displaying a wide range of offensive moves, whether they were with a sweet jump shot, or aggressively driving it to the basket. He quickly became the leader of a team that consistently had the national spotlight on it, and only seemed to play better when the stakes were higher. Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing between 240-250 pounds, Parker has legitimate size to play at the next level, and it is unique considering how skilled he is on the offensive end.
Parker earned numerous awards including being named the USBWA Freshman of the year, and a consensus first-team All-American. Although he was able to contribute some blocks and steals on the defensive end, there are question marks surrounding Parker’s ability to defend quicker and more athletic forwards. He can be very physical due to his size, but he is not as quick on his feet as some forwards in today’s NBA can be. Even though he managed to sink 1.1 3-pointers per game, there are also question marks about his shooting mechanics, and if he’ll be able to hit them from the NBA’s further distance. Regardless, Parker’s game seems primed to make an impact in today’s NBA, with the potential for much more.