NBA PM: Barnes Staying at UNC?
Harrison Barnes Staying at UNC?
If you root for a bad NBA team (and that’s a good portion of our readers), the NBA Draft is your NBA Finals. For many, the best alternative to the Larry O’Brien trophy is the chance to pick the next Larry Johnson.
So when elite players like North Carolina freshman Harrison Barnes decide to stay in school, it’s frustrating to say the least. Sure, Tar Heels fans should be excited to hear ESPN.com writer Chad Ford’s report that Barnes will likely stay at Chapel Hill, but what kind of hope does that offer Cleveland Cavaliers fans?
"He’s the sort of guy who cares about more than just going to the NBA," a source told Ford. "He wants to leave his mark."
Does that mean Barnes will stay in school if UNC doesn’t win a national title?
Barnes, who took advanced placement classes and carried a 3.4 GPA at his high school in Ames, IA, struggled to find his rhythm early in the year, but has suddenly become one of the most explosive players in the country. Since dropping 40 points on Clemson in the ACC tournament, the 6-8 forward scored 16 points in a loss to Duke and 24 and 22 points in wins over LIU and Washington respectively. He also grabbed 16 boards in the first-round win over the Blackbirds.
It’s obviously too early to tell if Barnes will stay or go, but there’s no doubt that this year’s draft would be significantly better if Barnes is involved.
James, Lowry Take POW
LeBron James winning Player of the Week isn’t much of a surprise. He averaged 29 PPG over four games last week while shooting 54.7% from the field and grabbing 5.5 RPG. The HEAT went 3-1 over that stretch with wins over the Spurs and red-hot Nuggets, so, again, it’s not really a major shock that he took home the weekly hardware.
Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry, on the other hand, was a surprise. The gritty defender has never been an amazing scorer or even someone who fills up a stat sheet, but over the last seven days the Villanova product has led Houston to a 4-0 record while scoring 19.3 PPG and racking up 7.5 APG and an astounding 7.3 RPG. In fact, he became the fourth Rockets player since 2002-2003 to record a triple double when he scored 28 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed 11 rebounds in a two-point win over the Jazz.
If anyone was wondering why it was so easy for the Rockets to trade Aaron Brooks, check out the way Lowry has been playing. He’s hitting a career-high 38.4% of his 3-point attempts and his turnover rate (percentage of possessions that end in a turnover) has hit a career low (10.5).
The Rockets are one and a half games out of the final playoff spot in the West
{AUTHOR_BOX}Gaines Goes Home
Not many people heard that Nets backup point guard Sundiata Gaines parlayed two 10-day contracts into a two-year deal over the weekend (his Wikipedia page has yet to be updated), but that doesn’t make the move insignificant. Gaines is right at home with the Nets, in part, because he’s backing up friend Deron Williams (the two were teammates in Utah last season) and providing a much-needed defensive presence off the bench. But Gaines is also literally at home with the Nets—or he will if the team decides to keep him for the 2012-2013 season.
"It would mean a lot," the New York City native Gaines told HOOPSWORLD about playing in Brooklyn before he signed the extension over the weekend. "Actually, I grew up, like my first 12 years, I was seven blocks away from the arena."
New Yorkers remember Gaines as the point guard for Queens power Archbishop Molloy who went on to play at Georgia, in Italy and in the NBDL before getting his chance with the Utah Jazz. Few know that he’s actually from the Brooklyn neighborhood where the Atlantic Yards Project and the Nets’ future home, the Barclays Center, is currently being constructed.
The rest of the country met Gaines as a member of the Jazz when he replaced an injured Williams and sank the game-winner 3-pointer in a 97-96 win over the Cavaliers last season. The shot became a Youtube sensation, but internet fame couldn’t help him land a long-term deal. Gaines went from the Jazz to the Timberwolves in the offseason before eventually singing with the Raptors and the Nets as this season progressed. Now, eight games into his tenure with New Jersey, Gaines was given a prorated salary for this year and will be paid the veterans’ minimum salary in 2011-2012.
"I couldn’t have planned on getting as many minutes as I’ve been getting," said Gaines, who has averaged 14.6 MPG and has defended the likes of Derrick Roles in the fourth quarter since joining coach Avery Johnson in New Jersey. "To me, I just play like I play and coach has the confidence in me. Coaches are usually going to go with what they know, and for him to get me a chance to shine and put me in for critical parts of the game, that means a lot. I want to continue to work hard and get better every day."
Working hard every day is nothing new to Gaines. He’s transformed his body since high school, worked hard to refine his shot at the pro level and is one of the busiest defenders the team has.
"To me, I had to come a long way," he said. "Nothing was easy and I had to work for everything. At the end of the day, I think it’s worthwhile."
Surprisingly doesn’t Gaines resent the lottery-type talents who have been given multiple chances to make it in the NBA.
"Nah, things happen for a reason," he continued. "It made me work even harder. It made me work on my game, my craft. At the same time, my time will come."
Gaines’ words were obviously prophetic. He knew he’d a chance to sign a full-year contract with a team, and he was hoping that team would be the Nets.
"It means a lot," Gaines said of the chance to stay in the tri-state area. "For me, from my house to here is like a 45-minute drive. I could go home, see my family, and just to have that support of your family and being close to home is something you dream of. Since I’ve been here I’ve had family coming of the game. I think that’s good."
Gaines probably has a little more Queens in his game than Brooklyn. Unlike Lincoln High School stars like Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson, Gaines—like many of the Queens players—is more concerned with making the smart pass or the right defensive read than driving for a layup.
"Lamar [Odom is] a good passer," Gaines said, listing the players from Queens. "Ron [Artest is] a good passer. Rafer [Alston] is a good passer—[Royal] Ivey. I think it’s always good for the game when guys around your neighborhood make it."
And now, thanks to a contract that runs through the end of next season, Gaines is in that company.
Check Out HOOPSWORLD’s March Madness Coverage
Make sure you check out our NCAA Tournament coverage. Yannis Koutroupis, Luke Byrnes, Tommy Dee, and Coach Anthony Macri have the scoop on the latest happenings.
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