Jay Bilas talked to Robbi Pickeral about the Tar Heels in the draft and thinks that Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Kendall Marshall will go in the top 18.
He knows more than we ever will, but we'll believe Harrison Barnes will succeed when we see it. Our criticisms are on record.
The others? We admire Tyler Zeller, and as Bilas says, he can run the court. In many ways, though, he's a fairly mechanical big man.
John Henson is the guy to keep an eye on, though he is in many ways a misfit. He's a stick-thin power forward, he's an excellent shotblocker and rebounder, and he'll get pushed around a lot inside.
But...in five years, he'll be much thicker, and his offense should continue to improve. John Henson at 240 would be a vastly more challenging opponent.
They'll never do it, but we could see an argument for Charlotte to take him at #2, and Portland, with a history of selecting ill-fated big men, could do a lot worse at #6. He could end up as an average NBA player, hemmed in by his physique, but he could also emerge as a truly disruptive force.
Finally, Kendall Marshall. Look, we understand the concerns about his athleticism. We have two words for you: Mark Jackson.
If you want to look at anyone to compare Marshall to, that's the guy and he had a fair NBA career.
For that matter, not that it's a very reasonable comparison, consider Chris Mullin. You can't get much less athletic than that. He did okay.
Basketball is not always about being faster and jumping higher. As much as anything, it's understanding how and when the other players on the court are doing it. You may recall that last year, many people were arguing that Kyrie Irving wasn't athletic enough to truly excel in the NBA. No one is saying that anymore.
Marshall is a dangerous passer from literally anywhere on the court. You can't just go out and find that. Just as a notion, he could be a devastating point guard with the Heat.
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