Prospect vs. Player: Would You Rather Have Karl-Anthony Towns or Jabari Parker?

When breaking down Milwaukee Bucks rookie Jabari Parker and Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns, the talking point of the conversation has to ultimately revolve around versatility.   

These aren't players limited to a specific position or area on the floor. And that essentially allows both to pick their spots and opportunistically exploit different mismatches.

After averaging 19.1 points per game and leading the ACC in rebounding at Duke, Parker would go on to become the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NBA draft. And he looked pretty darn good through 25 NBA games before suffering a devastating, season-ending ACL tear. 

On the other hand, Towns' terrific month of February and hot start to March has helped him emerge as a No. 1 overall contender for the 2015 NBA draft.

Knowing what we know now about Parker's injury and transition, as well as Towns' upside and development—who would you rather have to build your NBA franchise with moving forward?

Take a look at how they stack up physically for the positions they project to play:

	Positions	Height	Wingspan	Weight
Parker	SF/PF	6'8"	6'11.5"	240 pounds
Towns	PF/C	6'11"	7'3"	250 pounds

And check out their stats as well, including their per-100 possession numbers, which help even the playing field:

	Games	Minutes	FG Pct	Points	Rebounds	Blocks	Steals
Parker (with Bucks)	25	29.5	.490	12.3	5.5	.200	1.2
Towns	30	20.5	.567	9.6	6.5	2.3	.40

	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks
Parker (with Bucks)	21.3	9.5	2.9	2.1	0.3
Towns	29.3	19.9	3.4	1.2	6.9

Towns' Low-Post Game

Though not quite polished or fluid, Towns' post game continues to improve. His footwork needs sharpening, and he has a tendency to fade away, but Towns has the tools and skill set to eventually thrive down low in the pros. 

He's at his best with his back to the rim, where he's most comfortable turning over his left shoulder for a jump hook in the lane. Though Towns can also turn over his right shoulder and drop-step into a bank shot on the block. 

At this stage, there isn't anything fancy about his post game. His moves are fairly basic. But given his release point, once Towns has gotten into his delivery, there isn't much a defender can do but cross his fingers.

Teams have starting double-teaming Towns, a risk-reward play for the defense, given just how sharp of a passer he's become. He sees the floor well, and at this point, now used to getting doubled, he's started anticipating the help and locating shooters before it comes. 

Parker's Inside-out Scoring Attack 

With the ability to create a shot or finish one from any spot and angle, Parker's offensive potential is big time. 

At 6'8", Parker can handle the ball and attack, which makes him a tough cover for most power forwards on the perimeter. 

We've also seen him face up and separate in the mid-range off step-back and pull-up jumpers (31 of 83 in mid-range). And when those are falling, it works against any defender, whether they're a 3 or a 4.

Wings could also have trouble matching up with Parker, whose 240-pound frame can be a handful inside. He was actually extremely effective around the rim against everyone through 25 games, having made 70 percent of his 123 attempts in the restricted area.

Once Parker adds range to his shooting stroke, he'll be able to score from all three levels (three-point land, mid-range, down low). Whether you buy into the comparisons or not, he works with the same skill set Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony perfected.

If all goes well, Parker's advanced one-on-one attack could translate to No. 1 scoring-option duties.

Towns' Shooting, Stretch 4 Potential 

Towns hasn't had the chance to shoot many jumpers this year at Kentucky, but he's hit enough of them to validate the shooting potential he flashed at the high school level. 

He's even knocking down an impressive 79.8 percent of his free throws.

In today's NBA game, where shooting big men are more valued than ever, Towns' ability to play inside and out fuels some awfully enticing frontcourt versatility. 

Though often thought of as a center, Towns' mobility and outside touch could actually allow him to slide into more of a stretch 4 role in the NBA. And if that's the case—if coaches are able to play Towns at power forward and someone bigger at center (Nikola Pekovic in Minnesota, Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, Nikola Vucevic in Orlando)—opposing teams could have a tough time matching up.  

Parker's Red Flags

Having fractured his foot in high school and torn his ACL as a rookie, questions about his durability are bound to arise from here on out. 

At full strength, one of the concerns with Parker out of college was his defense—whether he was quick enough laterally to cover small forwards or big enough to man up against 4s in the paint. Although, he actually seemed to have held his own before getting hurt.

But odds are Parker never evolves into a plus defensive player. He'll have the chance to be adequate or passable—just not a difference-maker. 

We've also seen Parker's long-range shooting decline significantly after a hot start at Duke, where he missed 29 of his last 40 three-point attempts in 2014. As a Buck, he only hit four threes on 19 attempts through 25 games. 

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Towns' Red Flags, Questions

To draft Towns, you'll probably have to do it with a top-three pick—which is high for a player who's averaging less than 10 points per game. Obviously, he'd be putting up bigger numbers had he played for any other school in the country. But he doesn't. We haven't seen him take over many stretches of games or play in any pressure situations. 

And in terms of his skill set, there's a lot of work to be done before you can expect him to make any NBA impact. He's even having trouble staying on the college floor, averaging 5.7 fouls per 40 minutes. 

Though he's blocking shots at a high rate, he still has a lot to learn about playing team and one-on-one defense. 

Parker versus Towns

In the who'd-you-rather-have debate, a torn ACL doesn't help Parker, who would have initially been labeled the safer of the two. Now Towns may look like the safer option in addition to the higher-upside prospect. 

His offensive game isn't where Parker's is. But Towns' ability to score and facilitate from the post, as well as stretch the floor and bring big defenders away from the basket, could potentially be just as effective down the road, even if it doesn't translate to 20 points per game. 

Towns' defensive ceiling is also much higher. Per Sports-Reference.com, he currently has the No. 1 defensive rating in the country, blocking 4.4 shots per 40 minutes and sporting a tremendous 12.1 percent block percentage.

As a scorer who isn't expected to own the glass, create for others or lock down defensively, Parker's margin for error is smaller. 

Meanwhile, Towns doesn't need to dominate offensively for his impact to be felt. Even if his shot just won't fall, he can still make the game easier for teammates and tougher for opponents to score.

As promising as Parker looks in Milwaukee, if I'm a general manager starting a franchise from scratch, I'm leaning toward the big fella from Kentucky. Towns' two-way outlook and all-around versatility are just too rare and potentially valuable.