Re: Harrison FUCKING Barnes
Fear.
I've watched all 4 blazer summer league games, License to Lillard videos, Lillard Sac. video, and hear predraft and post draft comments about him. It is not simply a matter of looking at some box scores and saying "he's going to be great. " As others have said it's not just that he's doing well, it's how he's doing it. If you've seen all of the games and videos, the evidence is incontrovertible, but why are some people still hedging? FEAR.
For some reason if you predict a player won't be great and he turns out great, there is no stigma to the error. However, if you predict someone will be great and they aren't, apparently one looks stupid. That combined with the fact that most of the players that "look great" don't actually end up great leads to prognosticators to "play it safe." People on this board (and around the world) want to feel like they are smart, so they say everyone is mediocre (except the obviously truly exceptional like Shaq, Duncan, ...). Indeed, they are smug about it. But, it isn't "smart" it's "ballless".
Lillard will be great. Like Shaq for whom the NBA was easier than college because he no longer had to face triple teams, like Roy for whom the NBA was easier than college because he no longer had to face the box-and-1, the NBA will be easier for Lillard because he will finally have some teammates who are threats. The were no questions about Lillard predraft relating to the individual parts of his game. The real questions have been "is the Div. 1 college game to fast for him?", "what about the NBA?" He's answered those questions, again the only questions about his entire game predraft.
As for Blaze, yes it is annoying when people throw their predictions in your face repeatedly, but at least he made a bold prediction. I haven't watched Harrison Barnes play, but I know Lillard is the real deal, and in a position of need. Time to move on.
