I like Barnes quite a bit and if were picking in the 7/8/9 range, I'd have to consider him. My only concern with him is his shot. He's shooting around 29% from the three, and his free throw percentage isn't good either hovering in the 50's percentile. I see no comp with Anderson at all, other than height and passing ability. Barnes is twice the athlete and probably weighs 20 pounds more than Anderson did when he came into the league. At this point, if I'm going to gamble on a player I'd rather gamble on Usman Garuba, who also struggles with his outside shot, but is a better defender and and equal size, plus likely a better athlete.
I'm more inclined to go with more of a sure thing that perhaps doesn't have as much upside, but is more ready to contribute right away. Like Corey Kispert, Moses Moody, Ayo Dosunmu, and last but not least, if someone can light a fire under him, Jalen Johnson, who I think has the tools and skills to be a star in the NBA. He tends to disappear in games at times, but it's widely known that he didn't see eye to eye with coach K all the time. He would probably be one of the safest gambles out there, simply because he has such a high floor.
If you want to reach a bit, I would go with Kai Jones, who I love. He's very skilled for his age with his ball handling, passing and shooting for a 6'11" player. And, he's a very good athlete as well. Another small reach would be Greg Brown who I think has a lot of upside. And of course there's Franz Wagner, who I think is more skilled than his older brother, and a better athlete.
Not to single anyone out, but I can't tell you how ridiculous it sounds to me when someone seems to be passing judgement on a players defense because he allowed someone to come down the lane uncontested. Remember, these are 19 year old kids, in some cases, their 18 year old kids, and while you judge them on their current results, your also judging them on their future potential, as best you can. Some of these kids, especially one year removed from highschool, have never been asked to play defense before, which is why you see so many college teams play a zone. Keep it simple stupid defense.
So I would advise, look for what a player can do, not what he can't do. That's why I had Haliburton ranked so high last year. There wasn't much he couldn't do. Skill level will top athleticism almost all the time. That said, if you can get both, than you really have something. That's why I have Jalen Green ranked so high. He could end up being the best player out of this class in a few years.
