NBA Scouts 'Switching Allegiances' from Andrew Wiggins to Jabari Parker: Report
We're sure to see opinions change throughout the season, but it appears that at least a few NBA talent evaluators are beginning to favor Jabari Parker's game over that of Andrew Wiggins.
Per Chad Ford of ESPN:
"The longer the season goes on, the more scouts are switching their allegiances to Parker as their favorite to go No. 1. He's a scoring machine. He has a high basketball IQ. He can play multiple positions on the floor, and his lack of elite defensive abilities combined with the occasional struggle against long, athletic defenders are the only real knocks on him at the moment.
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Leading up to the season, there was near unanimity surrounding Wiggins. His blend of length and athleticism on the wing inspired a handful of euphemisms like "Riggin' for Wiggins" that pointed to the league-wide desire to land his services in the 2014 NBA draft.
Parker hasn't produced any tank-related rhymes, but he has generated more buzz on the court.
On the season, his averages of 22 points and 7.6 rebounds per game dwarf Wiggins' 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds. Plus, Parker looks like a guy who could fit right into modern NBA offenses as an athletic, undersized power forward.
For what it's worth, NBA players are also showing some love for the Duke product.
Bench-warmers are on board:
As are rising stars:
Keep in mind that we're only a few weeks into the college season, which means that both Parker and Wiggins could still experience a lot of growth before the campaign ends. If one or the other makes a big splash in the tournament or wows scouts in individual workouts next spring, things could change in a hurry.
For now, though, it seems like Wiggins and Parker are going to make it very difficult to isolate a clear No. 1 pick.
