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Jabari Parker’s Potential Impact for Next Season

By John Heffernon

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Our time watching Jabari Parker was sadly cut short last season. While he played he showed he could make his mark on the game with a solid mid-range shot, good post up skills, and a knack for getting to the hoop and completing dunks and layups easily.

Additionally, he showed his great feel for the game by racking up a lot of rebounds, smart passing, and quick hands that allowed him to get steals. Jabari won Rookie of the Month to start the season and, for the most part, lived up to the hype of being a number two draft pick in a stacked draft class.

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We all have our opinions on what Jabari may look like coming back this season. Some of us think he will set the league on fire and score over 20 points per game while others believe he will start off slow when he returns and average similar but slightly higher numbers than he did as a rookie. What exactly can Bucks fans expect from a 20-year-old kid who only has 25 games under his belt?

I want to explore what Jabari could look like this season in his “peak” form. His best this upcoming season would definitely be better if he had played more games last season and not have had his ACL tear. With these things factored in, peak Jabari may have some limited upside, but he could still be a beast on the court that causes a lot of problems for the opposition.

Projected Peak Jabari 2015-2016 Stat Line: 18 Points per game, 7.5 Rebounds per game, 2.7 Assists per game, 2 Steals per game, 0.75 Blocks per game, 1.5 Turnovers per game, 33 Minutes per game.

Going from 12.3 ppg as a rook to 18 ppg as a sophomore is going to be a big jump but Jabari has the skills to do it. If his recovery goes perfectly, he will come back with all the same athleticism that made him really good around the rim. The injury should not cost him anything with his midrange jumper. I expect that to improve. Lastly, I would imagine Parker’s three-point percentage and attempt numbers should climb this year. He is a natural shooter and scoring weapon. Getting buckets should be easy for him when he returns.

Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) grabs a rebound. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

An increase in rebounds per game is also expected. He showed great timing and ability with the nuances of rebounding, tracking the ball, boxing out, and timing his jump throughout his abbreviated rookie year. He was a strong rebounder in college and that skill translated well to the pros. His development in this area of the game should continue.

Jabari is a very smart player. He understands offensive basketball better than pretty much any 20-year-old we have seen. He is going to be able to score easily. When defenses start respecting his scoring ability too much he will make them pay with smooth passing to open teammates. With guys like Giannis, Monroe, and Middleton around, he should have plenty of other playmakers to get involved.

He had really active hands last year and it resulted in some good steal numbers. Jabari can pick people’s pockets effectively and with some more time studying the game those numbers should rise. Despite his athleticism, Parker didn’t record many blocks last year. I think this year he will deny some more shots while also disrupting more shots. These two skills should make him at least an average defender.

If he recovers from his ACL injury and returns at peak form I think it is reasonable to expect Jabari to be the second best scorer and rebounder on the team this upcoming season. By the season’s end he will be the most complete offensive weapon on the team, a good rebounder at the power forward position, a savvy passer who destroys double teams, and an average defender who doesn’t cause huge lapses on that end of the floor.

Even if he returns in January and misses 34-38 games I would still expect Jabari to do big things. I think he could still get eight or nine double-doubles with that amount of time missed. He could be a versatile tool that the Bucks can look to when they are in tight games with tough opponents.

Jabari has all the potential in the world. All we can hope for is that he recovers well from this injury, the Bucks take their time easing his way back into games, and the seasons after this one are where he really starts to shine. I think if everything falls into place for Jabari he could take a huge step forward in his development this year. We will have to wait and see what unfolds for the franchise cornerstone.

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