NBA Prospect Prospective: North Carolina Edition

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This series will give you insight as to who’s NBA-ready and will show you tendencies players have. That way, the next time you see them play, you can yell more stuff at the TV like “Make him drive left!” “You call that hedging a screen?” or “Use your butt more, Perry Jones!” without being perceived as weird. Maybe.

Look back to 2010 when five Kentucky players went in the first round of the NBA draft. Crazy, right? It was when it happened. Now, North Carolina could look to repeat that feat this coming summer. They have five players who could all go in the first round. Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall, James McAdoo and Tyler Zeller are the top five players on the team, but are also some of the best players in the country.

I’ll take an in-depth look at four of them from their game against Duke on Wednesday (I’m not including McAdoo because he’s most likely to stay for his sophomore season).

Harrison Barnes

Pure scorer. His offensive skill set is one of the most refined and expansive in all of the country. He mostly relies on his jump shot but can get to the rim with ease as well. He gets to the free throw line more this year, too. By the way, he shoots 43 percent from the three-point line. He’s a threat from everywhere on the court. Plus, his size at 6’ 8”, 215 lbs. is exactly what you want from a forward that attacks the rim as often as he does.

Barnes’ fantastic defense wasn’t exactly on display in this game due to Duke’s guards, who mostly spot up and shoot a lot off the dribble. Normally, he plays defense on the ball as fundamentally well as possible. He gets low, bends his knees, is quick laterally, and never crosses his feet when shuffling them to stop a player from getting to the paint.

The two things that could make him great in the NBA are both mental qualities: he is absolutely clutch and is confident but not cocky. He’s made a number of shots with the game on the line. He seems to always be ready for a big-time shot. This goes along with his confidence. You can see when he walks off the court or you could simply look at how great he is in clutch moments. This is something teams picking early in the draft always need. He has the chance to be special.

Offense: 8/10
Defense: 7/10
Intangibles: 8/10
Draft stock: Top 5

John Henson

Not exactly the most polished big man on offense. Henson does get the job done, as he’s averaging about 14 points per game. Most of his baskets come from Kendall Marshall assists due to Henson’s defender playing help defense on Marshall. He has an effective jump shot from 15 feet out and closer also. For having the athleticism that Henson possesses, you would imagine he would be better on offense, but that just isn’t the case. He’s got a knack for finding the open areas on the court, which doesn’t come to every player. Henson will have to work on offense the most because he might not have someone like Marshall and won’t be the only 7-footer on the court in the NBA.

Defense is where this man excels. He always rotates for help defense, usually resulting in him swatting away anything in his area. Henson is a fantastic fail-safe option, which lets Carolina guards play a little more aggressive — and this means more steals.

At this point in his career, Henson can get away simply out-jumping opponents. He is athletic enough and lengthy enough where he can reach over just about anyone for 17 rebounds like he did this game. Take a look at this picture:

Duke’s Ryan Kelly is listed at 6’ 11” and boxing out like he’s supposed to. John Henson couldn’t care less and jumps up, stretches out his elastic arms and rips down the offensive board. It’s fine for now, but Henson knows he can’t get away with this against great rebounders like Dwight Howard and Kevin Love at the next level. He could also, like seemingly most centers nowadays, use more bulk on his body. He’ll find that out at the same time as his rebounding weakness.

Offense: 4/10
Defense: 8/10
Intangibles: 5/10
Draft stock: Top 15

Kendall Marshall

It’s impossible to talk about Kendall Marshall without mentioning his vision. Or his passing. Or his leadership. Or his knowledge of the game. Marshall is by far the best point guard in the NCAA right now. It gets proven every time you watch him. It’s like he scans the whole court, processes it in a split second, and performs the best option like a point guard super robot. Here’s a small sample of all that:

In the first pass, Marshall whips a pass about 25 feet to Zeller without even turning his body. The next two show Marshall drawing defenders then him hitting the open man for easy points. At the rate he gets into the paint, the damage can be limitless. He would be a great teammate to play with.

The only struggle I see on offense is the lefty’s use of his right hand. He heavily favors driving to the left and struggles to finish with contact. A strong right hand will have to be developed if he wants to be a force in the pros. There aren’t a lot of point guards there that can’t use both hands.

He gets by on defense. He has been called slow for a point guard, which looks to be true, but that has to do with 6’ 4” frame. He’s able to out-muscle those he can’t blow by. The biggest thing about him, though, is his development into a floor general. Last year, this North Carolina team got instantly better when Marshall was given the starting spot. It wasn’t a coincidence. This man will improve any team. Most mock drafts have him going rather late in the first round. I think he’ll go in the lottery. I can’t imagine teams like New Orleans or Toronto passing him up. He’s too good of a teammate.

Offense: 8/10
Defense: 5/10
Intangibles: 7/10
Draft stock: Lottery pick

Tyler Zeller

I’ve been admittedly mean to Tyler Zeller. I don’t care for his game. But I did feel genuinely bad for him when he tipped in a shot on his own basket with under a minute left in this game and then when he got blasted for not putting his hands up on defense for the game-winning shot you’ve probably seen hundreds of times already.

But forget all that. Zeller had 23 points and 11 rebounds that game. That’s not the stat line of a goat last time I checked. Not only that but he did it against Mason Plumlee, one of the better big men in the country. He proved me wrong this game. His fundamentals are sound, his footwork is solid, and his jump hook is ubiquitous though consistent. That baby hook shot he has always infuriated me. He does it nine out of 10 post up chances. Why not play Zeller like a point guard who can’t drive to his left? Cover that right handed jump hook and make him play with his otherwise limited repertoire of post moves. Watch this video and focus on the hooks he takes:

Two things jump out at me;: he couldn’t care less if a double-team is coming or already there, that hook shot is happening; and he doesn’t look at the rim often. He played a very good game against Duke on offense by not forcing it. Don’t think of it as a bad thing; he constantly makes this shot, so that’s why he uses it so much.

He will get muscled around but actually fights back. His effort is off the charts and is noted for how hard he runs up and down the court, usually finishing fast breaks and the first back on defense. You don’t see that in big men anymore. He’s a solid player and should help the team that takes him right away. The only problem is I don’t think there is much potential in him. He’ll definitely find playing time in the NBA for many years but he won’t be the star of any team.

Offense: 7/10
Defense: 3/10
Intangibles: 6/10
Draft stock: Top 20

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