2021 NBA Draft Safari

red. said:

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Brown's got some skills, but his total lack of court vision really limits his potential. He once went 2+ months between assists, and finished with a 1:6 assist:TO ratio on the season, which is among the worst I've ever seen.

Bob_The_Cat said:

Isn’t it possible Barnes eventually shifts to PF full-time? 6’9” with a 7’3” wingspan and currently listed at 230. He’s only 19 and has a frame that will allow him to add weight and get stronger.

If he’s really a PF that plays similar to Draymond (hopefully shoots better) how does that change how you view him as a potential top 5 pick vs him playing SF?

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I like Barnes a lot, but I feel like mentally he's much more of a perimeter player than Draymond. Of course, you can play lineups with 4 perimeter players and a center, but he's not at his best defensively when he's tasked with being a backline defender.

Nathan S said:

Brown's got some skills, but his total lack of court vision really limits his potential. He once went 2+ months between assists, and finished with a 1:6 assist:TO ratio on the season, which is among the worst I've ever seen.



I like Barnes a lot, but I feel like mentally he's much more of a perimeter player than Draymond. Of course, you can play lineups with 4 perimeter players and a center, but he's not at his best defensively when he's tasked with being a backline defender.

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Yeah I haven’t seen him play enough to know about defensively. Just looking at measurable.

Bob_The_Cat said:

Yeah I haven’t seen him play enough to know about defensively. Just looking at measurable.

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He absolutely loves to hound guards and smaller wings on the perimeter. That's where his quickness, length, IQ, and reflexes all seem to work together for him. He's alright in the paint, but not a guy who naturally has great timing as a rim protector, and not an overly physical rebounder. That's my take at least.

Bob_The_Cat said:

Isn’t it possible and maybe even likely that Barnes’ best position is PF and not SF? 6’9” with a 7’3” wingspan and currently listed at 227. He’s only 19 and has a frame that will allow him to continue to add weight and get stronger. Even looking at his recruiting profile out of high he was listed at 210 so he gained nearly 20 lbs in one season at FSU.

If he’s really a PF that plays similar to Draymond (hopefully shoots better) how does that change how you view him as a potential top 5 pick vs him playing SF?

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Its kind of like the Okoro thing for me. Okoro is a bit undersized for a SF, but has good length and defense at the sg position. Length matters (ask your wife, lol).

As a sf Barnes has great length, as a pf, he is average. Portland just got bounced in the 1st with a small super star pg and and small all star sg. If they cant make it work, how can any team in the modern NBA.

We need to start looking for players with length, rethinking our young core a bit. Its becoming obvious to me that Sexton or Garland either need to move to the bench or a different starting 5. Doesnt mean they are both great players, but shooting and length define the modern NBA, not just shooting.

Nathan S said:

He absolutely loves to hound guards and smaller wings on the perimeter. That's where his quickness, length, IQ, and reflexes all seem to work together for him. He's alright in the paint, but not a guy who naturally has great timing as a rim protector, and not an overly physical rebounder. That's my take at least.

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How do you like his half court offense Nathan? Passing is good and the slashing is probably there but the rest seems a little limited. With the shooting concerns I'd be so worried picking him.

Barnes is such a strange case to me. So much to love between the relentless character, defense, size and passing, but the concerns could really hold him down overall.

As a complimentary PF/SF I love him of course, but I have a feeling he will want to be a ball handling focal point from the start. And he needs improvement there. Of course if he makes those though, namely shooting and offensive touch... well home run.

red. said:

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The speed (or lack thereof) of his jumper reminds me of Kyle Anderson.

Muffinalt said:

How do you like his half court offense Nathan? Passing is good and the slashing is probably there but the rest seems a little limited. With the shooting concerns I'd be so worried picking him.

Barnes is such a strange case to me. So much to love between the relentless character, defense, size and passing, but the concerns could really hold him down overall.

As a complimentary PF/SF I love him of course, but I have a feeling he will want to be a ball handling focal point from the start. And he needs improvement there. Of course if he makes those though, namely shooting and offensive touch... well home run.

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Barnes is so unique at the point, he doesn't even need great handles to create offense. He actually has good footwork and a dribble drive, that allows him to play the position well. The court vision is pretty damn good imo, It is something that can be improved enough imo, to see him running the team. He is a multi positional defender, including fast shifty guards.

Nathan S said:

Brown's got some skills, but his total lack of court vision really limits his potential. He once went 2+ months between assists, and finished with a 1:6 assist:TO ratio on the season, which is among the worst I've ever seen.



I like Barnes a lot, but I feel like mentally he's much more of a perimeter player than Draymond. Of course, you can play lineups with 4 perimeter players and a center, but he's not at his best defensively when he's tasked with being a backline defender.

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To be fair, its been years since i had an assist.

Ozone said:

Barnes is so unique at the point, he doesn't even need great handles to create offense. He actually has good footwork and a dribble drive, that allows him to play the position well. The court vision is pretty damn good imo, It is something that can be improved enough imo, to see him running the team. He is a multi positional defender, including fast shifty guards.

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Yeah I mostly agree. Im more concerned about his finishing/scoring touch + shooting combo. Tough to be a high usage player if those two areas are iffy.

Muffinalt said:

Yeah I mostly agree. Im more concerned about his finishing/scoring touch + shooting combo. Tough to be a high usage player if those two areas are iffy.

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As far as usage, I think that's the beauty of it. He doesn't need to have much usage to create offense and make plays, Defenders have a difficult time, stopping him from getting inside for finishes or kick outs. If he had a nice looking jumper, I would take him #1 or #2 just based on everything else. I wonder if it is possible he can develop his shot mechanics enough, to justify taking him higher than some of the more complete players. I sure hope the Cavs have the option, if they like him.

Lee said:

Its kind of like the Okoro thing for me. Okoro is a bit undersized for a SF, but has good length and defense at the sg position. Length matters (ask your wife, lol).

As a sf Barnes has great length, as a pf, he is average. Portland just got bounced in the 1st with a small super star pg and and small all star sg. If they cant make it work, how can any team in the modern NBA.

We need to start looking for players with length, rethinking our young core a bit. Its becoming obvious to me that Sexton or Garland either need to move to the bench or a different starting 5. Doesnt mean they are both great players, but shooting and length define the modern NBA, not just shooting.

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Yeah, I feel you. IMO the ideal outcome in drafting Barnes would be Barnes and/or Okoro improving their 3 and then starting Garland, Okoro, Barnes with Sexton as the 6th man. Then Sexton can come in with Okoro and Barnes sliding down a spot. Also, I suppose Barnes could feasibly become a good enough creator where you start Sexton, Okoro, Barnes. Kind of makes more sense from a scoring perspective at the moment.

Obviously that working is predicated on shooting improvement but just looking at the possibilities. The Garland, Sexton, Okoro, Barnes, Nance “death lineup” would be fun to watch.

Anyway, his playmaking skills and ability to switch between positions at times intrigues me. The Cavs actually don’t have many guys on the roster with true positional versatility like that to where they can hold their own in different spots. Right now it’s almost just Okoro and Nance to be honest. Cedi and Prince to a degree I guess but they aren’t that good and aren’t long-term pieces.

Muffinalt said:

How do you like his half court offense Nathan? Passing is good and the slashing is probably there but the rest seems a little limited. With the shooting concerns I'd be so worried picking him.

Barnes is such a strange case to me. So much to love between the relentless character, defense, size and passing, but the concerns could really hold him down overall.

As a complimentary PF/SF I love him of course, but I have a feeling he will want to be a ball handling focal point from the start. And he needs improvement there. Of course if he makes those though, namely shooting and offensive touch... well home run.

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Definitely not a guy I'd describe as having "soft touch" as a scorer. Still, he's a guy the defense has to account for. If you give him daylight he has a pretty quick first step for a wing and he has the athleticism to finish strong.

Similar to Sengun in that way. Not a great shooter right now, but you better keep a body on him because otherwise he'll make a beeline for the rim and you won't know what hit you.

Guys, we're getting Mobley.

DeeThree said:

Guys, we're getting Mobley.

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so they are winning the lottery cool

I can’t believe even if we won the lottery we would take Mobley. I mean he’s good but he would be a repeat of what we already have in Allen and does not answer the immediate needs that this team has....an athletic wing that can shoot and create his own shot or a taller guard (PG/SG) that can do the same things.