Retired NBA star Grant Hill thinks Duke freshman Jabari Parker is the most NBA-ready player eligible for the 2014 draft. Although acknowledging Parker must improve on defense, Hill believes the Blue Devils star "will be a great NBA player."
Parker, should he choose to declare for the NBA draft, could be the first overall pick. His performance this season -- 18.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game -- have him going ahead of Kansas' Andrew Wiggins and Kentucky's Julius Randle in some mock drafts.
Hill is the latest to espouse the potential of Parker, whom Hill believes to be the most NBA-ready.
"...He is as close to being an NBA prospect right now as you're going to find in college," Hill told Sporting News. "He is the real deal. He is talented, he is a good person. The thing that impressed me is the way he uses his size and strength -- his is NBA-ready, physically. He is a special player and I think he will be a great NBA player."
Parker, who's listed at 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, also excels in another area: versatility.
"He is versatile, he can do a number of things and he might be the most skilled player in college basketball and the most versatile," Hill said. "He is unselfish, he can score in the post, he can score from the perimeter. He has those skills. He is a really good kid who is just absorbing as much as he can and I think he is a can't-miss at the next level."
Hill acknowledged Parker's "only weakness" is on defense, where the freshman needs to improve guarding the 3- and 4-positions.
Parker may not be a sure-bet to declare for June's draft, however. A report in January from Sam Smith of Bulls.com indicated Parker would likely stay at least one more season at Duke. Smith said NBA executives believe Parker wants to make a championship-run next year with Jahlil Okafor, who will then be a Duke freshman.
