NBA Draft Profile:
Paul Harris, Syracuse

Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by Justin Shulman in nba-draft

When we talk about falling short of great expectations in the college basketball sphere-Paul Harris is one of the first names brought to the forefront. DO IT ALL PAUL was considered to be on the same level with prospects like Greg Oden and Kevin Durant coming out of high school. Had there not been an age limit put in place by the NBA, Harris would have most likely been a lottery pick. Instead he took his high flying game to Syracuse where he flashed a lot of promise but couldn’t put it all together. After three frustrating years, Harris has decided to forego his senior year and submit his name in the NBA draft. With his upside once a sure thing for the lottery, Paul will now be lucky hear his name get called at all. What gives Paul hope is that he is an absolute physical specimen, and has an NBA body that compares to some of the most toned players in the league. The best quote to describe this is that ” Harris has muscles in places most people don’t have places”. It’s going to be a long and grueling few weeks for Paul, as he aims to remind scouts that he’s still the player they fell in love with 4 years ago at Notre Dame Prep.

Offensively, Paul Harris came to Syracuse and was drowned out in a system that wasn’t suited for him. Paul needs freedom and unfortunately his coach, Jim Boeheim, didn’t provide him much. Paul was never given the green light, nor did he have any plays run for him. He always seemed to be a 3rd or 4th option, forced to defer to players such as Donte Greene, Demetrius Nichols, Eric Devendorf, and Jonny Flynn. Some of that was due having a limited skill set, but some of it stemmed from his rocky relationship with coach Boeheim.

Paul has a game above the rim that is flat out beautiful to watch. His elevation is extremely impressive for a guard who’s just 6′4. That being said, it isn’t Paul’s legs that make him stand out, it’s his physique. Armed with the body of an NFL defensive end, Paul uses it very well. He can post up the quicker and smaller guards and out-muscle them with his strength, or he can drive by the bigger guards with his quick feet. Paul is essentially a point forward who loves to play in transition. He has a great feel for spacing and understands how to draw contact. Harris has often been critisized for his lack of a jump shot but has relatively nice shot mechanics. His jumper improved durastically all three years at Syracuse, but he still doesn’t have any consistency beyond his mid range game. Until this weakness becomes a strength, defenders will continue to back off and let him shoot. This will prevent Paul from being able to utilize his biggest strengths, his size and speed. It’s difficult to project how Harris will fit in offensively in the NBA. He’s not a point guard, can’t shoot from long range and he’s too small to play the 3. Even knowing his limitations, the NBA is known for it’s one on one play and Paul can beat anyone off the dribble. He’s a good kid, good teammate and GM’s are having a hard time counting him out as someone who can produce at the next level.

Defense is the part of the game where Harris excels. When you have the ability to play hard defense and lock someone up, its a heck of a lot easier to find a home in the league. Paul doesn’t take his physical tools for granted and shows it with his non-stop motor. He works hard on every possesion and prides himself on being the defensive engine of a team. Paul is a very versatile defender who can can guard 4 positions on the court. He can defend in the post with his NFL body and also has the foot speed to stay in front of the guards. He is blessed with an enormous wingspan and should become an outstanding on ball defender in the NBA. Blessed with all this defensive talent it’s somewhat confusing that Harris would chose a college whereby they play almost predominantly in a zone. For three years instead of showing the world and more importantly the scouts what a great defender he is, we only got to see flashes. Flashes is an adjective that pretty much sums up Harris’ collegiate career. He’s shown he has the talent level of an NBA player, but he’s also shown he lacks the consistency to be considered anything more than a project.

Will be selected: mid second round to undrafted
NBA Comparison- Ruben Patterson