Harrison Barnes: Comparing UNC Star to Indiana Pacers' Danny Granger

Let's get one thing clear here—Harrison Barnes will never be a player like LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Paul Pierce in the NBA. He doesn't have that sort of ability.

But he can, and I believe will, be a very good NBA player. If I were projecting his upside, I'd ask you to look no further than the man currently doing battle with King James in the NBA playoffs, Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers.

Both players are long wings who are at their best catching and shooting, boasting excellent mid-range jumpers and the ability to hit three-point shots. Each rebounds fairly well for their position and plays solid if not excellent defense.

Barnes struggles more trying to create his own shot than Granger does, who is far better at getting to the bucket than the North Carolina prospect. In general, Barnes is not very good off the dribble, rarely getting to the rim and struggling to find open teammates.

There is the danger that he'll never develop past a one-trick pony in the NBA.

Let's compare the two in college for a moment. Since Granger stayed in school for four years but only played 14 games in his sophomore campaign, we'll compare his junior numbers at New Mexico in 2003-04 to Barnes' sophomore numbers this season at North Carolina.

Keep in mind, Barnes compiled his marks in the superior ACC.

Player	PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	3FG%
Danny Granger	19.5	9.0	2.1	.491	.333
Harrison Barnes	17.1	5.2	1.1	.440	.358

Barnes is going to score in the NBA, I don't doubt that. He has a good feel for the game, and frankly, he's been a consistent scorer on every level.

His ability to catch and shoot with ease and precision makes him a valuable commodity, namely for a team with a strong point guard who will find Barnes in open spots on the court.

But he'll need to get stronger, improve his handle and work on his burst, or defenders will simply pressure him and stay in his face. If teams don't respect his ability to beat anyone off the drive, he'll be smothered defensively and will have problems getting that silky jumper off.

If he improves that aspect of his game, he'll be a similar player to Granger, a guy most teams would love to have manning the 3 and certainly worth a top-five or top-10 pick. I don't know if he'll be as fiery as Granger has proven to be in his current series against the Heat, but he should be as effective.

If not, Barnes will never be anything more than a decent player who shoots well but only scores if the offense is run his way. And that most certainly is not worth such a high selection in the draft.

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