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Battle of two lottery picks - Celtics vs. Knicks - October 20, 2021

The Boston Celtics face the New York Knicks on October 20, and one of the matchups will have me focused. That would be two power forwards drafted in 2014 - the Celtics Jabari Parker taken with the second-overall pick and the Knicks Julius Randle taken five spots later at number-7.


Why compare these two? Well, it took Randle seven seasons to reach the All-Star level, and he has found his place in New York. Conversely, Parker will be fighting for a roster spot with The Green.

Last season, Julius totally blossomed, averaging 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 6.0 APG - while hitting on 46% of his field goals and 41% on his 3-pointers. Those numbers earned him the NBA Most Improved Player Award, racking up 98-of-100 first-place votes.

This could be Jabari Parker's make-or-break season, at least in Boston. Let's hope that Jabari's limited playoff performance (14.8 MPG, 8.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 62% FG, 40% 3s) last season bodes well for a roster spot in Boston - and hopefully, a breakout season.

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