Thanks HMMMHMM, I'm used to YouTube making it easy for me. I wouldn't say he isn't athletic at all, but certainly he's not Rudy Gay. I'd also like to point out the difference between 'not being afraid in the clutch' and just flat out being clutch. It's one thing if a guy isn't afraid to shoot.. another if the guy routinely shows up in the biggest moments of games, which he's done. Marvin Williams was a 6th man role player on a really good, veteran team. Harrison Barnes is the best player on a really young, inexperienced team. Last year the Tar Heels made it to the NIT; since then, they lost Ed Davis (NBA), Will Graves (kicked off team; best wing last year); and the Wear twins (left us desperate for size; enter transfer Justin Knox). This year, they dealt with losing their starting/backup PG Larry Drew and then lost Reggie Bullock (FR contributor off bench) for the year late in the season. Despite all that talent leaving the program, they are in the Sweet 16 -- it's quite impressive, and Barnes is a big reason for it.
You are dead wrong. The biggest problem with Barnes is his lack of athleticism. Scouts rave about his fundamentals, basketball IQ, and smarts.
Let me state my case one more time: Barnes has limited athleticism compared to elite NBA SF's. His lack of play making skills is also evident in his play this season. Preseason, Harrison Barnes was hyped to be a NPOY candidate, best freshmen ever, mix of Jordan and TMac. He doesn't have the athleticism to hang with Gay, Melo. He doesn't have the vision to pass like LeBron, Iggy. Sure he can become a Deng, Granger, or PP-lite, he is not worth taking with a top 5 pick, ones usually used to gamble on a franchise player.
I don't really think Carmelo is that athletic. He doesn't ever really blow past guys, he just uses his size to bump them off or shoot over them. I don't think Barnes would have trouble guarding most SFs; he may struggle with the likes of LeBron, but then again who doesn't. I think some of you guys are making too big of a deal of Barnes athleticism; it's not Rudy Gay freak'ish, but the man is still pretty athletic. <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8xGqe4gvCgc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Brandon Roy has been able to dominate without having out-of-this-world athleticism... because he's clutch, just like Barnes. I think Paul Pierce is a really good comparison for him; he's a great shooter who really shows up in the closing minutes. I don't get your last sentence -- Barnes is EXACTLY the type of guy you gamble on being a franchise player (especially in this draft). That doesn't mean he's a lock to be one, but his basketball skill is on another level compared to most other prospects -- I could definitely see him developing into one of the better players in the league. He strikes me as someone who will be better in the NBA than college.
If he doesn't have Gay's athleticism, Melo's size and strength, and LeBron's passing, what does he have? What is he going to rely on to dominate non-midget NBA players?
Rudy Gay is not that good, so using his athleticism isn't the best argument IMO. For every Rudy Gay, you also have a Rodney Carney. Westbrook is a guy who dominates because of his athleticism, but that's a different position. Barnes is just as tall as Carmelo or Pierce, so there's no reason to bring up words like "non-midget" as if that's the only reason he's playing well. We're not talking about an undersized, non-athletic SF here; Barnes has great size for the SF position, is a solid defender, and good shooter. He's not throwing down windmill dunks, but I could care less as long as he's hitting the big shots when it matters.
He's cold-blooded down the stretch in critical games... a trait that LeBron does NOT possess. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K9QD-18ad9s" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="640"></iframe>
I don´t understand fans.... You would certainly draft HB if he was more athletic, but the thing is, the athleticism is the only thing that gets worst with age, meaning, guys that rely on it have to find other ways to be great. Is D-Howard going to dominate when he is 30??? There is a reason why he is developing his post-up game, and not rely solely on his athleticism. Athleticism should only be an extra in b-ball (and in almost all sports). And unfortunately, I see it as being the basic principal for a players development when it should not be. MJ was not MJ because of athleticism. OF course you can say that it helped him, no doubt, but he didn´t dominate because he was an athletic monster. In fact LBJ is experiencing this every day since he came in this league. Being faster stronger, is great, you will own guys on a regular basis, but when you are against a team defense in championship moments, there is no way you jump higher, be quicker, or bulldoze 5 guys to the rack. I just HOPE so bad that this guy declares to this years draft and not go back to college. This year he will not be a top 3 pick, so the chances of trading up for him are higher, and I bet DM is all over this guy come draft day. This guy is waiting to explode as a franchise guy in the next few years in the NBA. If he stays in college, he is going to be a top 3 pick, and our chances of trading up for him, drastically get lower. And for those screaming athleticism, just look at Rudy Gay, no doubt he is a clutch player, but right now, for me, he is an overpayed player in this league, above average player, but not a franchise guy, atleast right now, the future is unknown. PeAcE
Valid point about Barnes just flat out being clutch. But how does 'clutchness' translate to the NBA? Does such a thing as clutchness even exist? Daryl Morey is on record saying he doesn't make decisions based on guys being clutch or not. Gordon Hayward and Evan Turner were pretty clutch in college. Maybe not as clutch as Barnes, but so far those guys haven't been impressive at all. To me being clutch is all mental. It's about (over-)confidence. Will Barnes have the same confidence in the NBA and maybe even more importantly will he even be put in a position to be clutch? Can you substain that clutchness for an extended period of time if things aren't going you're way? I think you can and I think 'clutchness' does exist, but I'd argue either you have to be the alpha male on your team, which is not something I expect Barnes ever turn out to be or a completly irrational confident guy like Mickael Pietrus or Eddie House, which I don't see Barnes being either. Think about the 15 best players. How many of them are wing players and do not possess elite athleticism? The answer is probably none, depending on how you define elite (+- Kobe). You certainly don't have to have great athleticism to be a good player, but you'll never be a superstar or franchise type of player without it. Not if you're a wing player. Could Harrison Barnes be a Lull Deng type of player. I guess so. Is that something I wanna use a top5 pick on? Probably not, though you obviously gotta consider how good the overall draft is.
What is elite athleticism??? IMO, elite is elite, D.Howard, B. Griffin, Rose, LBJ have elite athleticism. I don´t want to argue if non elite athletes can be a superstars or franchise guys, simply because I feel very differently then the majority of the people in regards to what players are real superstars. IMO the difference between franchise guys, superstars and stars is not that big. Just to give an example, Monta Ellis is a superstar, for me, but 90% of NBA fans would say that you can´t be a superstar on a mediocre team, because a superstar has to to singlehandedly make a team good, that is how people think sports are all about, one guy can do everything. I am sorry, but comparing HB to Luol Deng is just unfair. I am not saying you are doing this, I know there are mock drafts that do the same thing. I understand that the majority are disappointed on him, because the hype machine was moving before the season, and now people feel he is too raw to call him a superstar in the making. I know I can make the most stupid predictions about a player right now without being wrong, because only time will tell, but as of right know, I predict HB, if he lands on a non horrible franchise, to be, atleast, better then Danny Granger, meaning he would be the 4th best SF if nothing changed (this is my safe prediction for him). PeAcE
I think Barnes is most comparable to Granger with the potential to be a franchise guy on a good team. I made a wager, before the Florida State game (Barnes hit the game winner) and the 40 point outburst in the ACC tourney, that Barnes will be an all-star in the NBA. I only need him to be an all-star once, think he will make an all-star team?
Weak draft getting weaker... http://www.examiner.com/nba-draft-i...officially-announce-return-of-harrison-barnes
Brando Roy's athleticism has really been underrated over the years, I mean the guy measured with a 40.5 inch vertical. Which is higher than Rose, Wall, Westbrook, and T.Thomas just to name a few. Brandon, also had very good vertical quickness, he is with out a doubt one of the most underrated athletes to ever come out of the draft. http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Brandon-Roy-343/
