Mission age!

[rblack]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8655 ... hange.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jabari Parker may pull a Bradley and go into the NBA right off a mission.

"If he's going at 18, he would go to a mission and then possibly go to college or to the NBA,"

[craigoscarson]

1. Bradley played a year before his mission and had a huge freshman season (which he parlayed into the #2 pick and a bundle of cash after his mission)

2. Has anyone considered the fact that Jabari could see going to BYU for 1-2 years before going pro the alternative to a mission, yet still fulfilling his desire to be close to the church before the hip hop thung life of the NBA?

3. I don't think Jabari is the type of athlete that can jump right to the pros after a mission and not fall down the draft board. He's a polished player but he's not a freakish 7'6" and he's not Michael Jordan. I don't think this would be a wise decision.

I'm not sure the mission age thing for Jabari in particular helps BYU in the near term. He would have to be rerecruited in 2 years, which might pay dividends in the long run but I don't see much benefit to BYU the hoops program right now by this news. It just gave Jabari more options than what I see as Coach K vs Coach Rose next year.

[rblack]

Bradley was the #2 pick and yes, he played before he went on a mission. However, with new mission rules Parker won't have to play and based on the quote by his father, might go straight to the NBA of his mission.

[craigoscarson]

Bradley was the #2 pick and yes, he played before he went on a mission. However, with new mission rules Parker won't have to play and based on the quote by his father, might go straight to the NBA of his mission.

Like I've said for the last couple of years; Jabari is a skilled player but not an elite athlete, not an elite shooter, and not an elite defender. I don't think he's NBA ready and I think his lack of elite athleticism and lack of post man size makes him a Jared Sulinger type guy that could be really good in college and mediocre as a pro.

He's from all reports a world class human being, but he's simply not a sure fire hall of famer like Lebron, Garnett, Kobe and others. Doesn't mean he won't make a good pro eventually but I think he needs the college game. I've watched a ton of tape on him and if he were 6'10" then I might agree, but he's a slow three and an undersized 4. I don't know if he has an ideal position in the league.

[snoscythe]

I don't think any team in today's NBA would go out and spend a draft pick on a 20 year old kid who hasn't played competitive ball in 2 years, much less maintained conditioning. I can guarantee he won't go first round, because no team is going to guarantee him a 3-year contract. Then in the second-round he'd be jockeying with all the foreigners, collegiate all-americans, and high-schoolers who they have tape on for the last two years.

If he's going to serve a mission, he's going to need to play college for one year or risk an undrafted FA contract and a D-League assignment.

[rblack]

I agree, he would probably be wisest to play in college at least one year.

[SpiffCoug]

I don't think any team in today's NBA would go out and spend a draft pick on a 20 year old kid who hasn't played competitive ball in 2 years, much less maintained conditioning. I can guarantee he won't go first round, because no team is going to guarantee him a 3-year contract. Then in the second-round he'd be jockeying with all the foreigners, collegiate all-americans, and high-schoolers who they have tape on for the last two years.

If he's going to serve a mission, he's going to need to play college for one year or risk an undrafted FA contract and a D-League assignment.

The Jazz used a #3 pick on a 19-year old kid who hadn't played competitively in a year when they took Enes Kanter.

[tmoney35]

The Jazz used a #3 pick on a 19-year old kid who hadn't played competitively in a year when they took Enes Kanter.

I assume Kanter spent that year training and still playing a lot of basketball.

[snoscythe]

The Jazz used a #3 pick on a 19-year old kid who hadn't played competitively in a year when they took Enes Kanter.

I assume Kanter spent that year training and still playing a lot of basketball.

Your assumption is correct because SpiffCoug is flat wrong. Kanter practiced with the Wildcats up until January 2011 when his final NCAA appeal was denied, and he immediately left UK to join the Turkish National Team and played with them through the EuroBasket qualifying rounds right up to and after draft day until the Turks were eliminated three months after the draft. Kanter refused to sign his rookie wage scale contract with the Jazz for six months because he was finishing up playing basketball for his national team.

Kanter might not have played in college for the year before, but he was definitely playing competitive ball overseas.

[SpiffCoug]

I stand corrected. I forget he played for the Turks.