I have a good feeling about this pick too. He seems to have that "it" factor, I can see him being a good scorer. If he comes off the bench with E-Will, it should be entertaining!
I have a feeling he's going to beat out Ewill on the depth chart sooner than later. This guy look like a steal.
With Batum, Wes, Elliot, Barton, Babbitt and Claver at the 2/3 we are pretty damn stacked with talent at the wings...it is really going to come down to developement and experience for these players. It's going to be really interesting to see this season how these guys develop.
I think the reason that Barton slipped was that he was underwhelming (to put it mildly) on the athletic testing. His max vert was 34 and his lane agility was tied with Eric Chenowith and worse than Luke Schensher and DaSagana Diop! I've got another comparison: Malik Sealey. Another boney guy who was more slithery than bouncy.
I had the same thought. What stood out to me about the vid of him rambling about being overlooked his whole life, and his dedication to basketball, is that you put a chip on his shoulder and he is going to work like a MOFO to prove he's better than those other guys who were picked ahead of him. That's a lot of other guys, so that's a lot of proving he's going to want to do. No one is going to out work and out gym rat Barton, I think. He's a baller. He can get to the rim and he can knock down a shot, and he can pass too. We got lucky.
Instead of luck, I think it's just that this draft was what it was supposed to be, deep. No more big stars than usual, but more than usual good players.
Fewer big stars than usual, IMO. The obvious #1 pick made one FG in the biggest game of his life, and has a long ways to go in order to develop into a MVP-level player.
Tweet by Canzano: Will Barton, Memphis G, is on @750thegame right now. "Draft day was a day of mixed emotions. I was upset."
I would definitely be pissed if I expected to be picked in the first round. Not only for pride, but isn't there a substantial difference in how his contract will be?
Wesley wasn't even drafted. Its probably better to not get drafted than go in the late 2nd round. You get to choose what team you think you'll fit in with.
I'm a little worried about his lateral quickness on D, but his length could maybe neutralize that. He just seems a gamer. Not afraid to take big shots, and aggressive in doing so. Cool under pressure is one of the hardest traits to find in players, and we may have found one in the 2nd! Could be a 2nd round grab in the vein of Cliff when its all said and done.
I really hope you are right. I want to play the youngsters and see what we have. I am so sick (was) of Nate NEVER playing younger guys while people like Jeremy Lin are popping up all over. Because their coaches let them freaking play...
I was talking about being able to get a big payday in your second season. Wesley ended up earning more than Blake Griffin when both were sophomores.
He lists at 6-6, 175. Rudy was 6-6, 185, and I always said that skinniness was why he didn't make it. It hurt his defense and driving to the basket. Rudy's assists approximately equaled his rebounds. Barton's rebounds are 4 or 5 times his assists. So Rudy was either guard or forward on offense, but Barton's a natural forward. A 175 pound forward. Maybe he can be a specialist like Diebler and come into the game briefly when shooting is needed.
In Nates first 6 years, which young players NEVER played that should have? He played Oden, Rudy, LMA, Roy, Batum right from the start. Bayless, Dante, Armon, Mills, JJ, Martel....all got a shot. The word "Never" seems to be a little exagerated IMO
