Jabari Parker of the Milwaukee Bucks did not put up eye-popping stats against the Chicago Bulls in his preseason home debut.
But despite the pedestrian 12 points, Parker illustrated why he was the most NBA-ready player in the 2014 NBA draft. Parker is a natural-born leader who plays hard, and his teammates feed off that. Parker displayed his range and all-around play-making ability, and although he showed rookie rust, Parker proved that he is ready for prime time.
He has to be, because the Bucks are counting on him to elevate the team from doormat to respectability this season. Parker will get every opportunity to show his star power, as he will have the ball in his hands the majority of the time. To Bucks fans, Parker is the chosen one: the player who can erase the painful memories of seasons passed.
Yes, Parker can be erratic and turnover-prone at times, but his all-around game makes up for his flaws, and those flaws will be on display as much as his skills in 2014-15; it’s just part of the learning curve of an NBA rookie. But by the end of the season, Parker should be the favorite to win Rookie of the Year for his play.
In a season where Andrew Wiggins will more than likely get all the media hype, Parker will be quietly proving his star power, and by the time the 2015-16 season rolls around, Parker should take his rightful place among the league’s top players.
Kareem Gantt is a featured writer for Rant Sports. For more from this author, ‘follow’ him on Twitter, ‘like’ him on Facebook, and ‘add’ him to your network on Google.
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