NEW YORK — Make no mistake, Jabari Parker wants his friend Jahlil Okafor and his former Duke teammates to win the NCAA championship this season, but the Bucks rookie thinks John Calipari’s platoon system at Kentucky will work.
Calipari has said he plans to play as many as 10-12 players 20 minutes each in order to “feed” all of his guys and help them reach the NBA.
“Some of them [at Kentucky] will want to play more because they were All-Americans in high school, the best players on their team, so obviously they’re going to [want to] play more but I think it’s going to work,” Parker said Monday at shootaround before the Bucks played the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
“It worked out for them last year with all that talent.”
A year ago, Kentucky reached the NCAA championship game before losing to Shabazz Napier and UConn, while Parker and Duke were bounced in their first game by Mercer in what turned out to be Parker’s last collegiate game.
Asked how he would’ve reacted had Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski used a platoon system with Parker, he said he wouldn’t have loved the idea.
“I [would feel] real upset but you almost have to accept it because it’s for the betterment of the team and their method kind of worked last year,” Parker said.
This year, Duke brings in its own heralded recruiting class led by the 6-10 Okafor, point guard Tyus Jones and wing Justise Winslow.
Parker says Okafor should make a big impact on the college basketball season, as expected.
“Oh, definitely,” he said. “He’s the best player of last year and he’s going to be able to impact the game on either side of the court, especially for his team. We didn’t have a big man last year and he fills that gap so him and the other guys are really looking forward to them being real special this year.”
Parker and Okafor could potentially have teamed up at Duke this season had Parker stayed on campus. Instead, he went No. 2 in the NBA Draft, and now he’s ready for Okafor to replace him.
“He has that talent, he has that ability but I think that he’ll be able to break some of my records,” Parker said. “I set some records last year and I was Freshman of the Year last year and I think he can replace those.”
Asked if Duke has enough talent to take out Kentucky, the preseason No. 1 team in the Coaches’ Poll, Parker said, “I do, I’m biased. But Kentucky, they’re going to be in the top this year, Elite Eight at least because they’re so deep, so talented.”
Asked if Duke can win the title, he added, “I think so, it’s going to take a team [effort] because they’re not as deep as Ketnucky so everything has to work out for them to win.”
On another topic, Parker said he believes that college athletes should be paid because the “NCAA is so corrupt, why not apply for a job if you’re not able to get your worth? So that’s what it’s all about now.”
Asked if he thinks collegiate athletes should be paid, Parker said, “Yeah, just a little bit. At least get some of your worth, your value.”
