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 spo t 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...
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