Portland Trail Blazers 2nd round selection (#40)
As the 2012 NBA Draft drew nearer, it was clear that the Portland Trail Blazers needed to shore up some questions surrounding their shooting guard position.
After weeks of working out many athletes and reviewing countless hours of film, the Blazers found themselves drafting Will Barton from Memphis with the 40th pick in the Draft.
If you are unfamiliar with Will Barton, here is a summary of what the kid will bring to Rip City.
Profile
Height – 6’6″
Weight – 175 lbs.
D.O.B. - January 6, 1991 (21 years old)
Hometown - Baltimore, MD
College - University of Memphis
Position - Shooting Guard
How did he become a Blazer?
Will Barton was acquired with the 40th pick of the 2012 NBA Draft.
2011-2012 College Statistics
During his sophomore season at the University of Memphis, Barton played 1,236 minutes while hitting 230 of his 452 field goal attempts (.509) and 37 of his 107 three-point attempts (.346).
More of a shooting presence at Memphis, Barton averaged 35.3 minutes per game, 18 points per game, 8 rebounds per game, and 2.9 assists per game.
Strengths
Barton is an underrated shooter and he knows it. He impressively hit 50.9% of his shots last season at Memphis and is known to be able to connect from just about any range on the court.
He can pull up for a three or hit an accurate drop-back if it is needed.
Will Barton will be looking to prove doubters wrong in Portland. Photo credit: Hoops World
He is also a tenacious player. He plays with a passion and drive that nearly makes up for his fairly lanky stature on the court. Barton is an aggressive player that uses his passion for the game and success to fuel his attacking mentality on offense.
Coupled with his pretty good shooter’s touch, Barton could shape up to be a fairly decent player in the NBA.
Weaknesses
As mentioned above, Barton is a fairly lanky player and not that intimidating on the defensive side of the ball.
Bigger, stronger guards at the NBA level should have an easy time moving Barton around to their pleasure and will be able to take advantage of his smaller stature.
A consequence of his passionate drive, Barton can lose handle of the ball at times when he becomes too caught up with the emotions in a game.
Outlook
As the Portland Trail Blazers continue to move beyond the Brandon Roy and Greg Oden era of team history, rookie Will Barton will be looking to make a Blazer squad that is building towards the future.
Though he may be an average player in the NBA, Barton can nonetheless contribute significantly to the Blazers as he brings a strong shooting presence from the outside with plenty of room to hopefully develop into a more well-rounded NBA player.
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