2014-15 Season Review: Jabari Parker

Nov 16, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) dunks the ball as Miami Heat guard

(30) looks on in the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths

Like most rookies, Jabari didn’t step foot on an NBA floor for the first time and dominate. Baskets didn’t come easy against more experienced competition, and some glaring flaws in his game were exposed. However, there were some things that definitely worked.

Despite shooting just .250% from three-point range, Jabari finished his shortened season shooting just under 50% from the floor, which indicates efficient and effective shot selection and good scoring ability. His points per game of 12.3 is second among rookies, behind only rookie of the year Andrew Wiggins. Among the top five rookies in shooting percentage, Jabari played the most minutes, by far, and finished fourth. Interestingly, he also had the second-most rebounds per game among rookies, with only Denver’s Jusuf Nurkic, their starting center by the end of the season, achieving more.

There was also one category that Jabari was among the league leaders in at the time of his injury: dunks. A rookie being among the leaders in dunks is a sneaky big deal. It’s a great indicator of Jabari’s ability to get by defenders, take efficient shots, and move well off the ball to get in position to score in the paint. Those are all his strengths right now.

Next: Weaknesses