NBA Draft Insider

College: North Carolina
Birthday: 05/29/1992
NBA Position: SF
Class: Sophomore
Ht: 6-7
Wt: 212
Hometown:Ames, IA
High School:Ames High School

Ceiling: 

Basement: Martell Webster

NBA Comparison: Sean Elliot

Strengths:

• Athletic
• Long (7-foot wingspan)
• NBA Body
• Basketball IQ
• Elite Mid-Range Shooter
• NBA 3pt Range

Weaknesses:

•   Ball-Handling
•   Play-Making
•   One-on-One Scoring

Analysis:

05/05/2012

Harrison Barnes has entered the NBA Draft and hired agent Jeff Wechsler.

For two seasons at North Carolina Barnes has been through a roller-coaster of Draft Stock. This season Barnes came in with the ability to play off the ball as a scorer to remind everyone the scorer he can be. Overall he had a much better season this year scoring from the perimeter.

As a scorer Barnes is at his best coming off of screens or in catch-and-shoot situations. His ability to shoot is already at an NBA level from the mid-range all the way out to the three. Creating shots however is not a skill that Barnes has displayed during his time in college. As a play-maker Barnes has proven to be turnover prone and not very creative off the bounce. He does not have the creativity or burst to take his man one-on-one to the basket.

In the post Barnes has shown potential as well as a nice baseline turnaround jump shot.

On defense and as a rebounder Barnes has a solid NBA frame to be productive. As a wing player he can change between the two and the three with his size and quickness. Barnes statistically did not improve as a rebounder this season, but he was playing with two of the best rebounders in the country. He has the size to get good position in the paint and rebound among the big men. Defensively Barnes has good instincts on the ball.

Today Barnes is No. 2 among small forwards, No. 6 overall on the Big Board, and No. 8 in the Mock Draft.

02/12/2012

Barnes has gone from an elite scorer in high school to an elite shooter in college. His ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court is not matched by many. He has great size as a shooting guard and very good size as a small forward. He is showing an ability to rebound from his position as well as defend it consistently. Barnes is a very fluid athlete that is at his best when plays are made for him.

On that note, Barnes has not made the progression most would have thought. Last year he was considered a strong candidate for the No.1 overall pick and this year he has slide down significantly. The inability to create his own shot off the dribble is what holds Barnes back. He can score in volume and shoot with the best of them, but without a play-maker setting him up he is very limited.

On the right team Barnes can be a fringe All-Star player for many years, just like his most comparable NBA player Sean Elliot. Barnes would be better suited falling in the draft to ease the expectations and avoid having to be a play-maker.

12/19/2011

A Single Play Defines You

A single play does not and should not define a player. It simply is not enough information to compute a logical reaction to overall talent or future. That is why most do not do it.

But I am going to take a stab at it anyway.

When you look at Harrison Barnes his strengths and weaknesses are glaring, and right in your face. In a single game he displays both of those crystal clear. For those that have seen him play you know that Barnes is a lights out shooter with space. If you give him an inch he is taking the two (or three) points from you no question. His form sets him up for a high release and it doesn’t hurt him that he stands 6-8 out on the perimeter. Barnes gets his shots off quick and with same motion routinely, very fluid from jump to release.

Read More

05/12/2011

Barnes is undoubtedly the No.1 prospect and pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He has the skill set on offense to score from anywhere on the court and still has potential to get better. He has the size, body and athleticism to start in the NBA today; he just turned 18 in May. His offense is comparable to Kevin Durant, minus the obvious size difference. If Barnes improves his overall play-making (ball-handling included) he has the potential to be a superstar.

After a roller-coaster freshman season that saw Barnes rise to the top, fall and rise back up he decided a sophomore year was a wise choice. Barnes by no means was overhyped coming into the college game, he just had an adjustment period longer than we are used to with a consensus No.1 pick talent. That all changed once he got his legs under him and point guard Kendall Marshall was inserted into the line-up. That change gave North Carolina a pro style look and Barnes flourished scoring with ease through the second half of the season. What may be more impressive than the resolve Barnes showed while struggling was his eagerness to take the big shots – and make them. He never backed away from big moments and proved to be a very clutch player.

Entering his sophomore season Barnes will need to display that same level of play he exhibited over the second half of his freshman year through the entire season his sophomore year.  Barnes, offensively and athletically can be a real star in the NBA, but it is up to him to prove it nightly. For the second straight year Barnes enters as the No.1 Prospect on the Big Board and atop most mock drafts, likely another pre-season All-American vote as well. Will the pressure prove to be too much?

(video)