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Andrew Wiggins To Declare For NBA Draft On Monday: Embiid: Olajuwon, Parker: Anthony, Wiggins: Andre Iguodala?

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Where will Wiggins go in next year's NBA draft? That question can now be asked with certainty following his impending declaration at 3:00 pm EST today, according to ESPN.

Closely related to determining where Wiggins will go (my guess is number one) is assessing the type of player he'll become. Never has a draft offered three legitimate number one picks. Though two play the same position, all offer pretty different things. Joe Embiid, of course, is a 7-foot center with a body of motion some have compared to Hakeem Olajuwon. Jabari Parker profiles more than similarly to Carmelo Anthony. Both are fiercest on the offensive end. Just quick enough, they use their stout frames to finish most points. Parker probably has better dribble moves at this point, but doesn't have nearly the same outside shot (which has only become more consistent as Anthony has aged).

Less clear is to whom Wiggins best compares. It's both his greatest positive and greatest negative. There have been many names called by David Stern (and many more to be called by Adam Silver) with insane athleticism but no other discernible skills. In many ways, Wiggins profiles with busts much more than Parker though probably less so than Embiid, given the multitude of lost center prospects over the years. To be fair to Wiggins, his athleticism is high enough and skills are good enough that his worst case scenario is a slightly better version than Andre Iguodala, as ESPN's Seth Greenberg compared him to today (which is a pretty nice floor).  

Wiggins' athletic ability, however, isn't his safety net; it's his defense. This year, he's shown he can be an elite defender. In a league filled with near 7-foot superstars like Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and so on, that quality alone makes him an intriguing pick.

Defense (and athleticism) may be the only areas in which Wiggins currently exceeds Parker, but his potential in trailing categories is greater overall. For example, Wiggins has a higher, more fluid jump shot than Parker's slightly contorted but more consistent release.

The two categories in which Parker will always perform better is dribbling moves and one-on-one scoring. Parker comes alive at the offensive end in a special way. Both may one day average 30 points per game. The difference is that Wiggins, like Lebron James, will get his points in easier, more opportunistic ways. Parker will get his through a superior skill set.

Do you choose the player with the potential to transform your team defensively and offensively (Wiggins), but with the possibility of becoming a superstar in neither category? The one certain to become a 25 ppg scorer and maybe more (Parker)? Or the guy with the least certainty, but who plays the most in-demand position (Embiid)? This could be the only year where it may be an advantage to have the number three pick.

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