Top 5 Prospects for 2012 NBA Draft

[fredericklove]

I'll still don't think that validates Barnes as a top 3 draft pick....it's not like a week PG camp transform's your ballhandling skills from Shawn Bradley to Derrick Rose. It helps but to the point that he's not even a consensus top 3 pick in a bad draft but is in a great one; just doesn't sit with me.

Huh, if he was to enter 2011 draft he would have been drafted 2nd after Irving.

[jman3134]

Andre Drummond, Anthony Davis, Jared Sullinger, Michael Gilchrist, and Thomas Robinson.

[7-Day Dray]

I'll still don't think that validates Barnes as a top 3 draft pick....it's not like a week PG camp transform's your ballhandling skills from Shawn Bradley to Derrick Rose. It helps but to the point that he's not even a consensus top 3 pick in a bad draft but is in a great one; just doesn't sit with me.

Huh, if he was to enter 2011 draft he would have been drafted 2nd after Irving.

This. I see a lot of people on this board saying "Barnes wasn't even projected to go top 10 at the end of the year last year" or something like that, but that's false. that could've been said at the beginning of the year, but almost everybody had him going at least top 5 when he went on his late-season tear.

If he had declared last year, he would've most likely been picked #2 behind Irving, or even #1 if teams like Minny and the Wizards won the lotto.

[S.W.A.N]

Barnes would of been a top 3 pick in 2011 and could of gone 1. His tourney run was huge and he showed why he was the pre-season number 1 pick.

He has great size for SF, good defense, clutch shooter, smart.

Its possible that teams will take the big guys first because of their unique talents but Barnes is going to be an All-star

[Elden Payton]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Agreed Barnes is an All-Star in waiting...

what does everyone reckon his chance of being POY in college this year??

Who does he compare to in the league????

[Jazzfan12]

Luol Deng or Wesley Matthews

[Elden Payton]

Serious??

There's a big difference between them two, Wes Matthews wasn't even drafted & Barnes is a million times the prospect.

Barnes is even better already than Deng was coming out of Duke.

[JamesNaismith]

So far that's all I see of Barnes is a better version of Deng which btw is a solid damn player just not sure that's really a franchise player yet....imo it's all dependent on developing his ballhandling skills to take him from good to great.


I'm not asking this as loaded question but genuinely interested to know if anyone can recall a player who made some massive strides in their ballhandling after college?!?!


I also just wanted to point out that Barnes was actually at CP3's camp LAST year as well....I'm just saying that because it seems a lot of stock is being put into the fact that he attended it this year as if it was going to clear up a lot of issues. Of course every little bit helps but that's why I proposed the question above because I'm genuinely interested to know.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kgdL0xWBGU[/youtube]

[Dr Positivity]

Is expecting around the lines of Sean Elliott's career fair for Barnes? Nice solid 18/5 wing with a good attitude, if he lands on a team with a superstar he could sneak in as the 2nd or 3rd all-star. And tbh I think Washington or Sacramento or the Clippers could use a 3rd option Elliott type as much as another alpha dog anyways

[ManualRam]

^^
To answer your question, rudy gay is an example of a player who improved his handle in the pros.

And no, people ARENT putting a lot of stock in the fact that he attended cp3s camp. It's just an example of a kid who who recognizes defiencies in his game and is working hard to improve those facets.
The ability to quickly expand one's game is often overlooked when evaluating a prospect's game. Barnes has already shown that has the work ethic and willingness to take the steps necessary to be a more complete player. He's also shown the ability to learn and incorporate new aspects to his game quickly as exemplified by his quick transition from the interior to the perimeter.

[ManualRam]

The guy in mufasa's sig is another example of someone who improved his handle after college.

[JamesNaismith]

The guy in mufasa's sig is another example of someone who improved his handle after college.

I appreciate the example of Rudy Gay but funny enough Mufasa likened Barnes to DeRozan in terms of development in the Raptors' forum which I think is a pretty reasonable one...

As with DeMar, I believe the potential to be one of the better players in the league is there but like him and even Gay I don't believe they will ever become truly elite wings. They can become very good players but not what I consider elite...ie/ Gay vs Durant. That's just the feeling I'm getting now with Barnes' potential vs Miller's being similar (not exact) to that of a Gay vs Durant on a lower level....so for me as it stands now I like Miller a lot more then Barnes....again glad you brought up Rudy cuz I think Barnes will hover around Deng to Gay's level from what I see.

[Cineast]

Is expecting around the lines of Sean Elliott's career fair for Barnes? Nice solid 18/5 wing with a good attitude, if he lands on a team with a superstar he could sneak in as the 2nd or 3rd all-star. And tbh I think Washington or Sacramento or the Clippers could use a 3rd option Elliott type as much as another alpha dog anyways

I think Sean Elliott sounds about right. All star a couple of times, solid 2nd or 3rd option on a good team.

[UGA Hayes]

Actually Barnes reminds me of a sane Stephen Jackson-same sketchy shot selection, shaky handle, height, intensity, trouble getting to the line.

[MalonesElbows]

1. Andre Drummond: As good as Barnes will be next year, no one will pass up a 6'11 260 player with the agility, passing, and ball handling skills better than some point guards. A freak of nature like Lebron.

2. Harrison Barnes: We saw previews of what Barnes was capable of in the tournament. His play this summer has reinforced that even more. He was measured at 6'9" at Durant's camp and has the high character and leadership abilities that cause GMs to froth at the mouth.

3. Anthony Davis: Anthony Randolph with a brain. And that is well worth a #3 pick.

4. Jared Sullinger: Doesn't possess elite size or athleticism but extremely talented and uses his mass like a wrecking ball to score easily inside. An old school PF, and a damn good one.

5. Quincy Miller: People have been sleeping on him because of the ACL injury. That is a mistake; he has some Durant like blood in him.

[#1 pick]

So far that's all I see of Barnes is a better version of Deng which btw is a solid damn player just not sure that's really a franchise player yet....imo it's all dependent on developing his ballhandling skills to take him from good to great.


I'm not asking this as loaded question but genuinely interested to know if anyone can recall a player who made some massive strides in their ballhandling after college?!?!


I also just wanted to point out that Barnes was actually at CP3's camp LAST year as well....I'm just saying that because it seems a lot of stock is being put into the fact that he attended it this year as if it was going to clear up a lot of issues. Of course every little bit helps but that's why I proposed the question above because I'm genuinely interested to know.

To me he is closer to Grant Hill than he is to Luol Deng.

[JamesNaismith]

Wow....I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion but it would take quite a bit of work to get Barnes at the level Grant Hill was in his prime. Hill was the closest thing to Lebron in the modern area of ball and at one point a better rebounder. I'm not sure if you recall what Hill's game was like or just got Barnes' overstated.

So far I don't see Barnes' passing being anywhere close to GHill's.

[sipclip]

Grant Hill and Barnes are polar opposites when it comes to skill set. Other than having an incredible shooting stroke I don't feel like Barnes is that skilled at all. He is only a decent athlete without a quick first step and an average handle. I see his best case scenario being Danny Granger who is a really good player but not elite like some people talk about Barnes becoming. Grant Hill on the other hand has never had the shooting stroke that Barnes possesses but he did pretty much everything else on the basketball court at a level that I think Barnes can only dream about. Maybe Barnes will prove me wrong and show that he can do other things on the court at an extremely high level but based on last year I saw nothing of it.

[7-Day Dray]

Grant Hill and Barnes are polar opposites when it comes to skill set. Other than having an incredible shooting stroke I don't feel like Barnes is that skilled at all. He is only a decent athlete without a quick first step and an average handle. I see his best case scenario being Danny Granger who is a really good player but not elite like some people talk about Barnes becoming. Grant Hill on the other hand has never had the shooting stroke that Barnes possesses but he did pretty much everything else on the basketball court at a level that I think Barnes can only dream about. Maybe Barnes will prove me wrong and show that he can do other things on the court at an extremely high level but based on last year I saw nothing of it.

+1000

[Dr Positivity]

Grant Hill and Barnes are polar opposites when it comes to skill set. Other than having an incredible shooting stroke I don't feel like Barnes is that skilled at all. He is only a decent athlete without a quick first step and an average handle. I see his best case scenario being Danny Granger who is a really good player but not elite like some people talk about Barnes becoming. Grant Hill on the other hand has never had the shooting stroke that Barnes possesses but he did pretty much everything else on the basketball court at a level that I think Barnes can only dream about. Maybe Barnes will prove me wrong and show that he can do other things on the court at an extremely high level but based on last year I saw nothing of it.

Dead on, on both the inanity of the Hill comparison and Granger as resembling his upside