McDonald's All-American Game: Thoughts

So I'm trying to get back into the thick of things here. Hello blogosphere. Lots of things are happening right now that relate to the NBA Draft, which most of you know is my obsession. I'm going to start documenting these things more closely and give my thoughts, hopefully on a weekly basis. There's so much to talk about the kids that will be coming into this years draft from college, but I watched the McDonald's All-American game tonight and it gave me my first real look at a lot of guys I have been reading about for a few years now. Perhaps I will get to those soon-to-be NBA rookies next week, but I wanted to share some thoughts on some guys that stood out to me in this game.

Let me preface this by saying that you can't put a lot of judgement on a high school all star game as it is taken as lightly as an NBA all star game so I won't be praising or killing anyone too badly here. I'll wait till they have a college logo on their chest for that. So for those of you interested in the guys coming into college next year (and for some, the NBA in two years) check out my observations.

Harrison Barnes - 6-8, 210 lbs SF, #1 ranked player in class, committed to UNC

If I didn't know where these kids stood coming into the game I would have easily seen that Harrison Barnes was one of the best, if not the best, players on the court. He's a really long 6-8 (possibly 7 foot plus wingspan). He seems to do everything well. Reminded me of Tracy McGrady in that he can shoot, handle the ball, pass it well for his position, and really get up in the air. I saw him finish with both hands when attacking the rim. A very smooth player. Another thing I really liked about Barnes is that he is an academic all-american and was very well spoken in the short interview I saw of him in the game. He made some nice highlights with some high flying dunks and I think he will easily get UNC out of the NIT (Not Invited Tournament. That's what is stands for right?) and into a dangerous tournament team. With a good year, look for him to be one and done and be a high to mid lottery pick when he declares.

Kyrie Irving - 6-1, 170 lbs PG, #4 ranked, committed to Duke

What I like about Kyrie Irving is that he is a pass first point guard. Everyone loves playing with guys like that. Now there was not a lot of passing in this game from anyone, but I did see him make some nice dishes. He also handled the ball really well, never seeming out of control. When he lands at Duke playing in some big ACC games I think people will see a young, but poised player that will keep a team in control. Everyone took some bad shots in this game and he is no exception, but his form looked good and I'm sure he will be a good shooter in college. It's a little too early to gauge where he might be drafted in the pros right now, but he will be under a legend at Duke so hopefully his game will improve to an NBA level.

Tobias Harris - 6-8, 21o lbs SF, #5 ranked, committed to Tennessee

An interesting player that I hadn't heard anything about till tonight. The reason for that is he has skyrocketed up the rankings by chiseling his body and working on his game. That's a great sign for a kid that's just in high school. He had 14 points, but they were all in the first half (sat out the second half by aggravating his foot). It was a quiet 14 as he wasn't doing it with anything flashy. It was simply him having a nose for the ball and displaying some good skills. With Chism leaving, I think Harris will have an immediate impact as a guy that might not be on any sportscenter top ten plays, but will do the big and little things to make that team a winner. I can see him being a late lottery pick to mid first round depending on how he progresses and when he comes out.

Perry Jones - 6-11, 220 lbs SF, #9 ranked, committed to Baylor

This was the guy I had wanted to see the most coming in. Scouts are almost unanimous that Perry Jones has the most NBA potential out of anyone in the class. So why is he only ranked #9 in the class? Well when you watch him play a whole game it's easy to see why. He reminds me of a hot chick with big tits and a tight little ass that doesn't wear makeup, do her hair, and wears big sweatshirts to cover up all the goodness. You just wanna say to them "You could be a 10 if you actually put in some effort and didn't wear North Face fleeces everywhere you go". I actually had to look for him on the court because he didn't do anything. He basically sleep walked through the entire game. The last two minutes was the only time it looked like he was trying. Once again, it was an all star game, but these where the criticisms going in and he did nothing to disprove that on a national stage.

That was the bad, so let's get to those last two minutes. Wow. Now that hot girl is on the beach in a bikini and even she can't hide the talent. The kid is huge, long, in shape, and is probably the most gifted athlete in the class. He made some highlight dunks and blocks and it was easy to see the potential. At 6-11 Perry can really do some special things on the court. There will be some good competition in the Big 12 so he really needs to step up every night. My guess is that he will be inconsistent, but show enough flashes of his limitless upside that he will be a lotto pick. If he did it every night he could be the #1 pick. It is up to Perry Jones and that almost hot chick to be as good as he/she wants.

Jared Sullinger - 6-8, 262 lbs C, #2 ranked, committed to Ohio St.

Was the co-mvp in the game with 24 points, Jared Sullinger showed a versatile game. He was 2-3 from 3 and showed very nice touch and good hands. He could be a very nice pick and pop guy in the NBA with that big body and perimeter game. Reminded me of Karl Malone, but needs to get in better shape. He's not a great athlete, but neither is Demarcus Cousins and he seems to be a lock to be a top 5 pick this year. Sullinger isn't as tall as Cousins, but he also doesn't have the red flags Cousins has, which are major. Jared will definitely be an immediate contributor next year for Columbus and should be a lottery pick when he declares.

So there are my thoughts and my return to the blogosphere on what will hopefully be a consistent basis. Next week I will definitely be touching on the guys coming into this year's draft. If anyone else watched it I wouldn't mind hearing your opinions. Late