2016 NBA Draft Prospects: Breaking Down NBA Future of NC State's Cat Barber

The NBA is full of specialists, and when it comes to Anthony Barber, the dude is so fast his sister gave him the nickname "Cat" and it stuck.

Speed is a valuable asset in the NBA, especially with rules that cater to shifty guards, and Barber is one of the fastest men on the planet with a basketball in his hands.

Age	21 (Born July 25, 1994)
Team	NC State
Height	6'2.75"
Weight	173

"He'll be one of the 10 quickest point guards in the league," an NBA scout told Bleacher Report. "But the problem is he's doing it with a much smaller frame than most players. The greatest concern with him is going to be his frame, whether he'll get swallowed up and knocked around and have trouble staying on his line."

Those are justifiable concerns. Barber is extremely thin, he weighed 173 pounds at the NBA combine and his lack of upper-body strength shows when he speeds into the lane.

He conquered the college level with a monster junior year. With 5-star point guard Dennis Smith headed to North Carolina State, Barber decided to take his chances in the NBA draft.

His game isn't exactly well-rounded. But will his quickness and elite scoring ability at the college level be enough to convince an NBA team to take a chance?

Relevant Stats

	MPG	PPG	APG	TPG	RPG	SPG	3P%	FT%
2015-16	38.7	23.5	4.5	2.6	4.6	0.6	36.1	86.5

With Trevor Lacey deciding to leave school early following a Sweet 16 run for the Wolfpack in the 2014-15 season, it fell on Barber to become a ball-dominant guard, and he delivered. He scored 30 or more points eight times and failed to reach double figures only twice.

For a guy with a slight frame, his body held up well considering the minutes head coach Mark Gottfried asked him to play. He was on the court 96.1 percent of the time for NC State, the second-highest minutes percentage in college basketball, according to KenPom.com.

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The assist numbers are a bit of a concern. On the surface, 4.5 dimes per game look decent, but when you consider how much Barber had the ball in his hands, that's not so great. He had a 25.2 percent assist rate for the year, and that number dropped to 21.6 percent during ACC play, per KenPom.com.

Barber's most perplexing number relates to his lack of steals. For a guy who is so quick, likes to pressure the ball and has a decent wingspan (6'5 ½"), you would think he would put up better numbers, but he averaged under one steal per game during all three seasons in Raleigh.

Strengths

The NC State offense was isolation-heavy for college, and it allowed Barber the chance to show he can get his own shot just about whenever he wants. He's an excellent ball-handler; combine that with his quickness, and he puts defenders on skates. 

Barber wasn't the most efficient scorer, but his jump-shooting numbers are more impressive when considering a majority of his shots came off the dribble (percentages typically go way up when players shoot off spot-ups).

	FG% 2pt jumpers	%unassisted	3pt FG%	%unassisted
2013-14	37.4	90.6	36.1	51.2
2014-15	38.2	94.0	38.0	33.3
2015-16	33.1	93.8	26.1	16.7

Barber's special off the dribble with his ability to change speeds and direction, then pull up on a dime. By keeping defenders off balance, he was able to get to the free-throw line often (8.3 times per game as a junior). He could always get pull-up jumpers whenever he wanted at NC State. His scoring went up so much as a junior because he had more confidence in his jumper and didn't hesitate to take those shots.

"You really like the way he improved," the scout said. "His mid-range shooting has gotten better. His three-point shooting has gotten better. Really just the form on his shot. I know the percentage may have just improved a little bit, but I think you're encouraged by the fluidity with which he's shooting his jump shot and the form on his jump shot more than you're worried about the percentages."

Weaknesses

The biggest knock on Barber's junior season was his team's lack of success. The Wolfpack went 16-17 overall and just 5-13 in the ACC. This is a roster that had the talent to be a top-25 program, so saying Barber and his guys underachieved is fair.

As the point guard, Barber didn't necessarily make other guys around him better. He had no problem getting his feet in the paint, but the outcomes weren't always positive. 

"He's not a good finisher inside the paint, and his vision is probably average," the scout said. "Yeah, he's quick, but once he gets into the lane, what's he going to do with it?"

Another scout was even more critical of his playmaking skills.

"Too selfish," the scout said. "He's just not efficient. Not a smart player. Not a good passer. ... I don't think he has any chance. Guys like him, they're all over the place."

NBA Player Comparison

The good news is undersized speed demons with killer handles have a chance in the league—and some have thrived. 

The Allen Iverson comparison has been easy to make in the past because Barber and Iverson are both from Hampton, Virginia. 

Barber does a good Iverson impression with his quick crossover and build. The thing that separates a young Iverson from Barber is A.I.'s strength. Iverson may not have looked it, but he was strong. 

Isaiah Thomas, Jeff Teague and Shane Larkin currently have similar wheels and offensive chops to Barber's.

Best-Case Scenario

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Teague also didn't have great assist numbers in two seasons at Wake Forest, but that has changed in the NBA, and he's become a much better passer.

Some folks were surely questioning Thomas as a shooter after he made only 32.5 percent of his threes during three years at Washington. Like Barber, Thomas took a lot of his shots off the bounce, and he has proved himself as a shooter in the NBA, with a 36.2 career three-point percentage.

It seems a stretch to put a Thomas or Teague ceiling on Barber—both have played in the All-Star Game. That could be too far for Barber, but Thomas also had his doubters and was the last pick in the 2011 draft.

If Barber shows some early signs of success, the franchise that drafts him would hopefully be smart enough to hold onto him (cut to weeping Sacramento Kings fans).

Worst-Case Scenario

Barber has a chance to go undrafted, and whether he is drafted or not, he is a likely candidate for the NBA D-League next season.

The worst-case scenario is he doesn't show enough as a playmaker and team player in the D-League to get a chance in the league. If that's the case, he would be smart to play overseas. He's gifted enough to make a lot of money abroad.

Prediction

Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

After the first few picks in this top-heavy draft, the goal of NBA teams will be to find rotation players.

One of the two scouts quoted in this article is convinced Barber will go undrafted, but having a change-of-pace scoring guard off the bench in the NBA is a valuable asset. That type of player doesn't necessarily need to be great at setting up teammates; His job is to be a professional scorer.

Barber has a chance to be that, and that's why a team will draft him. It's not easy to find the kind of quickness and handles he brings to the table. Late in the second round, it'd be worth overlooking his deficiencies to bet on that speed.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @CJMooreBR.