Anthony Barber
Position: Point Guard
Ht: 6-2, Wt: 165
Hometown: Hampton, Virginia
College: North Carolina State
Class: Freshman - incoming
Strengths:
- Speed in the open court is unmatched… can get end to end with the ball in his hands in a flash
- Ability to push the ball with either hand – going North / South
- Lefty in and out dribble
- Cross over with either hand
- Ability to create fast break opportunities with his speed
- Does a nice job mixing up his speeds and accelerating past the defense… good burst
- Supreme Quickness
- Great usage of the pick and roll, finding his teammates at the rim
- Sees the floor well, good feel for where his teammates are
- Has the tools to become a very good on the ball defender… size, foot speed, active hands at the 1
- Shooting mechanics need work to develop consistency from the outside. Looks more comfortable pulling up for a mid-range jumper, struggles when pushed outside his comfort zone. Jumper comes out with a low-release, as if he’s pushing the ball
- Needs to expand offensive repertoire in the half-court set… relies heavily on the high screen and roll from the top of the key. Needs to have the ball in his hands to be involved
- Immaturity questions – read his Twitter feed – needs some schooling on how to represent his brand.
- Has to add muscle to his frame to take the pounding he will get as his game advances
- Does he have the polish? Can he be a guy that his teammates look up to?
Overall:
Barber is someone that will stand out any time you watch
him play, because he has a flare (in a good way). He’s play’s
an exciting style, with the ability to get anywhere on the court with the ball
in his hands. He’s elusive with tremendous quickness – as quick as any
1’s in the NBA.
Offensively, he really needs to focus on developing a
more consistent jump shot from the outside. Right now his mechanics
are off – release is low, like a set in volleyball – he’s not much of a threat
when shooting from the perimeter. With his current stroke, the opposition
will be able to play off him, offsetting his speed advantage to a degree.
In a way, it will neutralize his first step. If he can work on
improving his consistency from the outside, becoming more of a threat, his game
will go to another level. Forcing the
defense to start playing up on Barber and fighting over screens, he’d be a very
tough player to contain / keep out of the paint. And in the
half-court set, when the ball is not in his hands, he’d need to be accounted
for…. And thus, he’d start to be much more active (without the ball).
On the defensive end, Barber has the tools.
He has good length for a 1, outstanding foot speed, lateral quickness and
active hands. He gets anxious to get into the open court, so
he’ll have to learn some discipline, not leaking out too early to start the
fast break…. staying focused defensively until securing possession.
But my big focus next season with Anthony Barber will be: Can he translate his incredible talent into being a productive NBA point guard with leadership skills to run a team?
One one hand, he had big-time potential, if he works hard and allows his game to develop. But on the other, he can also become a one-and-done guy, leaving way before he's ready... never to be heard from again.
We’ll be watching closely, very optimistically.
