In this year’s 2013 recruiting class, three players in particular have caught my attention as potential star NBA players. Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, and Andrew Wiggins will be difference makers right away in college and in the pros. I like all three players, but Parker is the best out of the three. First, Parker has the most complete offensive game and is a very good jump shooter for his size. As you can see in the video below, Parker has very advanced triple threat moves and can pull up like Russell Westbrook, drop defenders like Iverson and dunk like a LeBron James. I think people overlook the contributions he makes on the defense end as well. He isn’t quite as athletic as Andrew Wiggins but he is still a monster athlete.  

                Attending Simeon Career Academy was a great choice for Jabari because of its rich basketball tradition. A guy named Derrick Rose went there and won multiple state titles. Living in Chicago has means that Jabari has had the big market big media presence as a teenager. This is an advantage for him over Wiggins and Randle because he will be better equipped to deal with it especially when he goes to Duke in the fall. Parker is a humble kid and the team player coaches want. His personality will elevate his stardom past Wiggins and Randle because he has already had to deal with the insane amount of hype surrounding him. All-American games, Magazine photo shoots, YouTube Mix tapes, and even a sports illustrated cover are in Parker’s back pocket.

                On December 20th, 2012, Jabari Parker announced he would play for Coach K and Duke next season. He made the right choice because this is a perfect fit for many reasons. He will instantly start at a big time basketball program because Duke lost three key seniors (Curry, Plumlee and Ryan Kelly) and Coach K will look to Parker to immediately lead the team in scoring. Some problems that Julius Randle and Andrew Wiggins will face are a lack of contribution. What I mean by this is that Randle will be heading to Kentucky- Who has the best recruiting class since 1991. The additions of the Harrison twins along with Dakari Johnson and James Young mean that Randle will be looking for touches, and may not get them. I can’t predict Andrew Wiggins quite yet because he is still undecided. But if he goes to Kentucky as well it will be just another cog in the system. Wiggins would be best suited to choose Florida State or North Carolina.

                As the great Rasheed Wallace once said, “Ball don’t lie,” is very true with Parker. His high school career accolades are unheard of:

2010 National Freshman of the Year (ESPN HS)

2011 National Sophomore of the Year (ESPN HS)

2012 National Junior of the Year (ESPN HS & MaxPreps.com )

2011 USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year

2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013 IHSA state champion

2012 National Player of the Year (Gatorade)

2012 Statewide Player of the Year (Gatorade, Illinois Mr. Basketball)

2012 First team All-American (ESPN HS, SLAM, USA Today)

2013 All-American (Jordan, McD's, USA Today)

2013 National Player of the Year (McD's/Wootten & MaxPreps.com)

2013 Statewide Player of the Year (Gatorade, Illinois Mr. Basketball)

2013 Jordan Brand Classic MVP

                Overall Jabari Parker will be the best player from the class of 2013. His polished offensive game sets him apart and he is athletic enough to be nearly unguardable. Andrew Wiggins is a great player- but his work ethic, lack of a consistent jump shot, and school choice will ultimately crown Parker as the King of the Hill. Parker is a unique kid on and off the court and will spell trouble for the rest of the ACC right away. His four High School state championships and two gold medals in international play means that this kid had the winning mentality. Get ready Duke Nation because I smell a championship headed to Durham very soon.

 

                     As we embark on the NBA Playoffs, many true contenders have emerged from the pack. A few that come to the mind of the general public are the Heat, Thunder, Knicks, and maybe even the San Antonio Spurs. However, the national media thinks the 44-37 Los Angeles Lakers deserve more air time than some teams that deserve it more. To name one, how about mentioning the 56-25 Denver Nuggets. This team did lose their second best scorer in Danilo Gallinari to a knee injury. Kenneth Faried has been bothered by an ankle as of late. One advantage this team does have however is their depth. The Nuggets can (and will) play 9-10 men deep in the playoffs. Add that with the altitude factor, a gruesome early season schedule, and being the third highest scoring team merely by a decimal point (105.9 PPG to OKC and and Houston)- and you have a legit NBA title contender. Another advantage Denver has is that they are tied for first for the highest scoring bench in the NBA with Dallas- 41.4 PPG. Not only can they score, but they are well balanced and can rebound the rock. With Kosta Koufos, Kenneth Faried, Anthony Randolph and JaVale McGee, the Nuggets are the second best rebounding team at 44.8 RPG. This leads to several more offensive possessions  and most of the time whoever wins the battle on the boards will in the game. 
                
                    Think the Nuggets are just a team that has to outscore you to win? That is far from reality. They feature a vastly underrated defender in Andre Iguodola, who i think should be at least considered for DPOY. The Nuggets are second in the NBA averaging 9.4 Steals per game and are third in blocks at 6.5 Blocks per game. GM Masai Ujiri has done a phenomenal job building a true title contender and should again, be in the running for Executive of the year. After floundering out of the gate to an 11-12 start, the Nuggets are 38-10 since January 1st, and will most likely lock up the third seed in the postseason. They have a winning record against every single Western Conference playoff team besides the Spurs, who they are 2-2 against and recently beat handily in Denver. Speaking of winning in Denver, the Nuggets are 37-3 at home.
                
                  One thing that is blatantly untrue about the Nuggets from the national media is that they don't have a true superstar and will flounder against playoff teams in the playoffs. Several Nuggets players have hit game winning shots this year, Ty Lawson in a nationally televised game vs the Thunder, Andre Iguodola, Corey Brewer, and Kenneth Faried. Also, against playoff teams, the Nuggets ARE FAR AND AWAY the best team in the NBA . They average 106.1 PPG- Most in the NBA, they average 44.9 RPG- Most in the NBA, They average 24.4 APG- Most in the NBA, and are second in Blocks per game and Steals per game. With what looks like a favorable first round matchup with the Warriors, if everything goes to plan, will face the San Antonio Spurs in round two. Don't let the 2-2 regular season record fool you, though. The Nuggets lost 100-99 in San Antonio on a questionable last second missed foul call on Andre Miller. If the Nuggets truly do play to their full capability, expect them to be in the Western Conference Finals                           


               So, when will the national media realize that this team is for real? They may never, until it is too late. I have given every reason why this team is fully loaded to compete for an NBA title. I have gotten so excited about this team that i have bought tickets for 2 playoff games(and spent a ton of money doing it). As we embark on the playoffs 2013, I leave you with some awesome Denver Nuggets highlights: