2014 LB Community NBA Draft Big Board #4: Jabari Parker Cleans Up

With the two biggest prizes in the 2014 Draft off the board -- literally and figuratively -- the third slot on our LB Community Big Board was left open for a possible surprise. Alas, an Australian takeover was not in the cards, and Duke's Jabari Parker has come away with a decisive victory and 76 percent of the vote.

I've expressed some concerns about Parker's limitations, though contrasting him with Andrew Wiggins' athleticism has caused a lot of us to be a tad more down on him than perhaps we should be. There are defensive question marks for sure, but No. 3 feels like the right spot for such a skilled offensive player.

Here's where the board starts to get tricky. Dante Exum was the runner up for the last spot and is regarded highly by the scouting community, but there's still an unease to vote for him out of fear for the unknown. The new car smell that wore off Marcus Smart in his sophomore year at Oklahoma State may well vanish once he's up against bigger and better competition in the NBA, and fit issues with Michael Carter-Williams aren't shrugged off easily.

Facing off against the point guards are a trio of power forwards that each bring a little something different to the table. I'm partial to Noah Vonleh, an absolutely massive human being whose shooting ability (small print: in limited opportunities) would appear to fit beautifully next to Nerlens Noel. Julius Randle's defensive rebounding and Aaron Gordon's Swiss Army Knife game would be useful as well, but I'm a little more turned off by their shortcomings as opposed to Vonleh's lack of playing time. Tom Crean isn't exactly John Wooden.

So what say you, LB? Are you keen on a dueling backcourt banjos setup that could be the newest NBA trend, or would you prefer a big man to slot alongside our flat-topped dynamo? Vote or die.

LB Community Big Board

1. Andrew Wiggins (55%)

2. Joel Embiid (66%)

3. Jabari Parker (76%)