Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State (No. 6): This is where the fun starts with this draft. I am nowhere near locked in with Barnes at this spot. I don’t feel great about having him there, and he showcased a big part of the concerns about him in the NCAA Tournament. Simply put, Barnes is everything evaluators are looking for from a frame perspective at 6-foot-8-plus with at least a 7-foot-2 wingspan, fluid athleticism, switchable defensive instincts and good body control. He’s also a high-IQ player who is an excellent passer. However, the big question right now is just how he scores. He’s not a shooter at all and wasn’t particularly adept at getting into the lane and finishing. He took 17 shots in three tournament games for Florida State, not exactly a ton, because he can’t really create an efficient look. For me, the best way to get him open opportunities in the NBA will be using him as a four or five and having him play in short-roll settings as a screener himself, which should allow him to use his length, extension and passing ability to carve up defenses from the foul line and in. This is purely a projection on my part based, not entirely, on production. I like Barnes a lot and love the skills he brings as a complementary NBA player. But he has a lot of room for growth.
Moses Moody, G, Arkansas (No. 7): OK, so this is a tough one. Let’s be blunt: Moody struggled in the NCAA Tournament. He seemed to struggle to get to his spots, and he settled a lot for little midrange opportunities. Eventually, he just decided that he needed to start getting to the foul line, so he started to seek contact. He got into double-figures in all four games, but he shot just 32.7 percent from the field. I’ve mentioned throughout the year that Moody hasn’t been awesome against high-level competition, and this was an example of him struggling again with his efficiency. In 20 games this season against Tier A+B competition according to KenPom, Moody has just a 52.5 true-shooting percentage. That’s not an ideal number. Having said that, I’m still in on Moody for a number of reasons. First, he’s still just 18 years old, and I think we underestimate how hard it can be to be the No. 1 option for a team in an NCAA Tournament setting as an 18-year-old. All of the teams left are loaded with older players for a reason. Second, Moody is still a 6-foot-6 wing with a good frame and a 7-foot wingspan. He’s a prototypical wing option in a league desperate for more of them. A lot of evaluators are not quite as high on Moody as I am, thinking his lack of true burst athletically will end up causing him issues. I get that. But I can’t understand getting outside of the lottery without having him in it right now, given that his overall performance on the season resulted in him very clearly being the top freshman wing in a league littered with them (like Keon Johnson, Jaden Springer, Cam Thomas and B.J. Boston).
*INGRAM*ALLSTARSEASON* Wemby is HIM
