Warriors take Harrison Barnes at No. 7
The Golden State Warriors picked up one of the most talented offensive players in the draft by selecting North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes with the No. 7 overall pick of Thursday's NBA draft.
Bob Myers, hired as the Warriors new general manager recently, told the San Francisco Chronicle that his phone "almost blew up" when Barnes slipped to No. 7, because he wanted to trade up to get him.
"He's one of the best people in the draft, and we think he's one of the best players," Myers told the Chronicle.
The 6-8 Barnes was the nation's top prospect coming out of high school and looks like the classic NBA small forward. He has an excellent mid-range game and outside shot, and he has a number of ways to score. Barnes is so smooth, it sometimes appears he isn't providing maximum effort. He's not as quick as you might think and is not an outstanding ballhandler. Sometimes he's considered too nice, too polite, and may not be as tough as some of the players in the lottery, but he is a smart player.
He averaged 17.1 points for the Tar Heels as a sophomore, but he struggled offensively in the NCAA Tournament when he was needed most. He went 3-for-16 in the overtime win over Ohio in the third round and 5-for-14 in the loss to Kansas in the next round. He has shown he can be a good defender.
"I think Harrison's becoming the player that everybody tried to make him out to be a year and a half ago," North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "That's not to insult his game at all. Sometimes players just have to grow into that. I think he's done a great job of adjusting to the role. He is one of our main go-to guys."
