Former NC State point guard Cat Barber, surprisingly, failed to get drafted by a team at the 2016 NBA Draft. Since then, Barber played summer league ball with the New Orleans’ Pelicans and then signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Though Barber has been signed, he still needs to compete to make the final 15-man roster.
An abnormal amount of foreign players selected in the last NBA Draft help to explain why the All-ACC point guard wasn’t selected. After the draft, Barber was immediately contacted by the Pelicans to play with them during the summer. Barber’s summer league campaign was cut short when he sustained a concussion from a knee to the head against Miami.
Despite this, Barber’s college numbers (23.5/4.6/4.5), combine, team workout and short summer league play must have been enough to impress the 76ers. This team is perfect for Barber because of “The Process.” “The Process” refers to the 76ers’ plan over the last few years to perform so poorly that they end up with the best college players available in each draft. Ben Simmons from LSU has helped the team feel like “The Process” has worked. While Barber wasn’t a number one overall pick, he was one of the better guards in college basketball last year and his age helps him to fit right into the young team.
The roster currently consists of 19 players. There are three point guards not including Barber. Veteran Jerryd Bayless, second-year player T.J. McConnell and Sergio Rodriguez. The depth chart currently lists Rodriguez as the starter with Bayless as backup and McConnell third. Barber’s best chance of making the roster would be to at least beat out McConnell who is closest to Barber’s age.
Barber’s speed is his best asset and he’ll need to use it to impress the team. He has always been quick, which allowed him to consistently get to the basket in college, but what really improves Barber’s chances is improved shooting. It’s no secret that NBA defenders are tougher to blow by than those in college. Since Barber is only 6-foot-2, it will be necessary for him to be able to shoot the three and to have a mid-range game.
While Barber has a lot of qualities that make him desirable and help him to stand out, there are a couple of things about his game that could potentially hurt his chances of making the final roster. The first is that NC State’s offense last year was far from what Barber would be running in the NBA. He was forced to carry much of the offensive load so there were a lot of isolated situations for him. Early in summer leagues, folks on social media felt that Barber was a “ball hog,” that didn’t know how to “pass the ball” enough. If Barber can’t switch his mindset from the one he was forced to have in college, he may have a tough time making a roster.
Barber’s second weakness is his size. Barber’s lean physique may my cause a problem when he needs to guard larger players. Since he is small, his court vision and awareness will need to be stellar in order to get the ball to his teammates; that is the primary job of a point guard, contrary to Barber’s high-scoring style.
State fans can all agree that Barber deserves to be on a roster. Unfortunately, the 76ers seem to be the only chance for this to happen. Lorenzo Brown never getting a legitimate shot, Ralston Turner playing in the D-League and Trevor Lacey playing in Italy should all be added motivation for Barber to give all he has in an attempt to make the final roster.
