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NBA Draft 2011 Could See Minnesota Timberwolves Select Harrison Barnes at No. 2
With the way North Carolina freshman Harrison Barnes played this season, there’s no question his NBA draft stock has soared.
Barnes never scored less than 18 points in any one game in the NCAA Tournament and basically was asked to put the Tar Heels on his back against Kentucky when fellow underclassman John Henson got into foul trouble and the rest of the team struggled.
The big question here is not whether Barnes will be a lottery pick if he declared, but how far up the draft board will he go?
Chad Ford of ESPN, who has Barnes going No. 2 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves, notes, “Barnes has a smooth midrange game, can sink it from the 3-point line and gets to the rim off the dribble. Scouts rave about his basketball IQ and fundamentals, so while the Kobe comps aren’t fair, he could be a better version of Luol Deng.”
As Ford notes, I certainly don’t expect Barnes to become another Kobe Bryant, but I think he might be actually selling Barnes short as a “better version of Luol Deng.”
I see Barnes as someone similar to a Kevin Garnett out of high school, with more 3-point range. Not saying he’s going to be another Garnett, but he has the tools to provide a similar kind of impact, length and the ability to score driving the lane or hitting a midrange jimmie.
I still like Derrick Williams over him, but I could see him going to the Washington Wizards at No. 3 overall.
His potential is through the roof, and he’s already shown he has an alarmingly polished game for a freshman in college.
For Peter Hill’s mock draft, go here.
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From bleacherreport.com
