harrison barnes Options

[DevilDJ]

On Tuesday, I wrote about some of the top frosh in college basketball in terms of how they're performing at the college level -- but playing college ball and playing in the NBA are vastly different things. This entry looks at those same players -- Josh Selby, Harrison Barnes, Tobias Harris, Perry Jones and more -- in terms of how they might translate to the professional side of the coin.

Harrison Barnes

I hope I am wrong about this -- but right now, I do not think Barnes can impact an NBA team as a rookie.

When wide open, Barnes is a very good shooter. I've watched every jumper he's taken this season thanks to Synergy Sports Tech, though, and I'll say this: He takes a ton of contested shots. That problem is compounded by a seeming unwillingness to go to the rack. Barnes shoots about three FTs per game, which is subpar for a scorer. When he drives with his right, especially, he seems to be a bit averse to finishing strong.

He will likely end up in the lottery, but No. 1 -- where a lot of people thought he'd be about a year ago -- is out of the question right now.

"Four Year Starter"

[Lee Corso]

I love it. He spends one year SUCKING at unc and still goes lotto.

[DevilDJ]

Barnes becoming clutch, earns nickname

He's taken tons of heat for not living up the "preseason first-team All-American" standards. Are we over that yet?

But one of his tools is better than anything else unc has right now - his ability to come up in the clutch.

It's not a physical tool, it's an intangible that goes beyond his pure shooting touch. For some reason Barnes feels more comfortable, confident, and focused when the game is tight.

Barnes' late-game heroics aren't unnoticed by his teammates, as evidenced by his new nickname.

"He’s a special kind of player. That’s the 'Black Falcon.’ He wants the ball at crunch time," said Kendall Marshall, who assisted Barnes on his game-winning three. "He wants to make the big play. He wants to put us on his back.” Harrison Barnes is now "The Black Falcon", slightly catchier than H-Barn.

LINK

13-point, 4-for-11 from the field, zero assists and two turnovers. 17 straight games without shooting MORE than 50%.

[Lee Corso]

My God he actually wears that black falcon necklace.



Unreal.

[DevilDJ]

Barnes' 'Black Falcon' nickname came from ESPN

How did North carolina freshman Harrison Barnes get ‘The Black Falcon’ as a nickname? Credit ESPN.

“When I was at the Jordan Game, myself, [Ohio State’s] Jared Sullinger, and [Duke’s] Kyrie Irving, we had to go up three days earlier than everybody else, and we got a tour of ESPN,’’ Barnes said today. “ They …gave us [each] nicknames. … I think Jared’s was ‘Big Smooth’ and Kyrie’s was ‘Time,’ because he said he couldn’t be stopped.”

But why a bird?

“I said I wanted mine to be an animal, because Michael Jordan was the ‘Black Cat’ and Kobe was the ‘Black Mamba,’” Barnes said. “And they just gave me the ‘Black Falcon.’

LINK

[Lee Corso]

Well, NC State made him look like an All American.

[Blue Devil Terrorizer]

[staugiedoggie]

Well, NC State made him look like an All American.

did the same for that narcisse guy at clemson....you know, tanner smith's BACKUP.


scrubs ALWAYS play the game of their lives againt nc state.

[Blue Devil Terrorizer]

did the same for that narcisse guy at clemson....you know, tanner smith's BACKUP.
scrubs ALWAYS play the game of their lives againt unc.

Fixed it for you. Narcisse did really well against us. So did the one freshman from UVA (I forgot his name).

[DevilDJ]

Prom Night with his dates....

[Dread]

Not too g&y.

[DevilDJ]

The DevilWolf vs. The Black Falcon

This brings us to the decision that Barnes, like all underclassmen, has to face right now. Does he go to the NBA, which is the destination that his pre-written story ultimately takes him? Or does he stay at North carolina? There is no doubt in my mind that he’ll be back for his sophomore season, and he’ll do it for the one reason that no one will talk about. We’ll hear stories of how much he loves North carolina, how he wants to win a championship, how he’s not ready to leave his teammates. We’ll hear about how committed he is to academics, how he wants to grow as a leader. Harrison Barnes will be back for one reason, and one reason only … there are many stars in the NBA, there are a handful in college basketball. Barnes needs to be talked about. He needs more highlights. He needs more material for his biography. He needs more stories about him dribbling alone for hours in the dark, vowing to never miss the shot again that he missed against Kentucky. He needs more customers. Barnes never was playing for an NBA contract, he’s playing for endorsements. He’s playing for stock prices. He’s playing for the love of the game, but that game is not basketball. If he does decide to go to the NBA, it will be because he feels like his brand has matured enough to go to the next level. It will not be because he’s always dreamed of playing in the NBA, or because he wants to win a ring. Can Harrison Barnes move more units from the family store, or is it time to go public? That’s what it comes down to. What’s the next scene scheduled to be filmed?

And most of you are going to continue to fall for it, and you’ll line up in droves to buy what he’s selling. Me? I don’t buy fake merchandise.

LINK

[DevilDJ]

TDD poster created a special emoticon...



Not bad.

Another one...

[DevilDJ]

Harrison Barnes announces return to unc basketball

LINK

Gotta hand it to Roy. No one's better at turnin' one-n-done recruits into multi-year players than he is. Wasn't so long ago that " TKKF " would say that would make a coach selfish and borderline incompetent.....

1) Coach K (talking about Kyrie Irving.... )

"If he plays more than one year in college, I did something wrong."

2) Roy ( talking about Barnes.... )

"You're a 5-11 range draft pick."

Barnes has unfinished business at unc

The phone rang around 6 p.m. or so on New Year’s Eve.
The caller ID read: Harrison Barnes.


North carolina’s highly touted freshman had only 13 games under his belt and was struggling, at least according to the expectations. He was averaging only 12.1 points and was shooting 36 percent from the field.
His buddy, Duke freshman Kyrie Irving, dominated out of the gates down the road, but the adjustment for Barnes took time. Now, Barnes was searching for answers.
The consensus No. 1 player in the freshman class coming out of high school in Ames, Iowa, had three questions for me.



1. Did I think he still had a shot of being an All-American?
2. Did he still have a chance of being the national Player of the Year?
3. Most important, did I think the North carolina Tar Heels could cut down the nets?
This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill call that I normally field from an 18-year-old freshman. This was unique.

I’ve been around thousands of high school players over the past decade or so. Barnes is unique.
He’s thoughtful, cerebral, mature well beyond his years and extremely intuitive.
I proceeded to answer the questions as honestly as possible, telling Barnes his chances of winning the national Player of the Year were essentially over, that he would have to dominate from that point forward (which he did not) in order to earn a spot on the All-American team and that unc’s chances of cutting down the nets appeared slim to none.
Then Barnes politely thanked me and hung up the phone. That was the day I truly realized Barnes' uniqueness.......


“He really had no wrong decision to choose, but I believe he is coming back to school because he enjoys college basketball, he enjoys the University of North carolina and he enjoys his teammates,” Williams said.
Part of it was enjoying the college life and part was not accomplishing what he had set out to do so.
“The NBA isn’t going anywhere,” his mother said. “And he has certain goals.”
Three of them that he’ll have another shot at.

LINK

1) Jeff Goodman must have a " thing " for pathological ego-maniacs.

2) Barnes , in this case , would be that " pathological ego-maniac. "

3 ) Roy is a cunt.

[Champs 5 times]

Nobody had yet provided a credible link to Roy claiming that Barnes was a 5-11 pick, but DJ says it's so, so it MUST be true.

[blueduke]

Nobody had yet provided a credible link to Roy claiming that Barnes was a 5-11 pick, but DJ says it's so, so it MUST be true.

There's plenty of credible links that Barnes would have gone 1-5. Think he'll go even higher next year? Poor Zeller is the biggest loser though. He'll be lucky to get drafted at all next year

[Champs 5 times]

There's plenty of credible links that Barnes would have gone 1-5. Think he'll go even higher next year? Poor Zeller is the biggest loser though. He'll be lucky to get drafted at all next year

I wonder why Sullinger, Barnes, Jones, and now Doron Lamb are ALL staying this year. Three of those are in the top 5. It's unprecedented that so many top picks all over the country are staying.

GEE, think it might have to do with the lockout?

[Dread]

At this time, no lockout. You're crazy if you think black failcon won't go 1-5 based on " potential ".

[blueduke]

I wonder why Sullinger, Barnes, Jones, and now Doron Lamb are ALL staying this year. Three of those are in the top 5. It's unprecedented that so many top picks all over the country are staying.

GEE, think it might have to do with the lockout?

A Lockout???? Really????? Haven't heard that one

"Let's deny ourselves money and endorsement deals and risk it all and play for free one more year".

Do you think a lockout will last all year? A lot of those players are living paycheck to paycheck. Think they'll put a major hurting on their families and themselves for Kobe and Lebron????? These are unprecedented times in this nation's history in the financial markets. They'll say f-you to the union real quick and take what they can get. Most are too dumb to do anything else. They'll fold like a cheap card table. if a year long lockout was a threat why even bother having a draft anyway

Irving and others aren't going to sign one year contracts and one year endorsement deals. Players like Sullinger and Barnes are taking big risks. Zeller is just being a total idiot. if there was a year for a decent white guy to go pro this is the year.

[Blue Devil Terrorizer]

Last year was a year for a decent white guy (Singler) to go pro.