Pitarresi: Nebulous future for Flynn, Harris

There is a lot of talk about Syracuse University basketball players and former Niagara Falls High School teammates Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris going to the NBA after this season.

 

Well, let me tell you:

 

I talked to NBA scouts who had Flynn going to the NBA after last season, so you know there are at least a few pro people who think he can play at that level right now. I’m not an NBA scout, but I have watched a lot of basketball in the last 50 years. I think Jonny Flynn is a tremendously talented player with a lot to learn in terms of judgment on the court. He is fast and strong and a leaper, and is an adequate, not great, shooter. I do not believe he is as tall as his listed height of 6 feet, but there have been a lot of very successful NBA players who were shorter. Calvin Murphy was a Hall of Famer at 5-9. He is a very good passer most of the time, but he needs to learn how to better command a team, and he needs to know when to go inside and when not to. I really don’t know if Flynn can be successful in the NBA, and I think his stock has gone down the second half of this season, but clearly there are NBA people who think he can play. If he is told he will be drafted in the first or second round this year, I’m sure he’ll be gone. It would be difficult to turn down the money. It might not be the right decision, but …

 

Harris is another story. He’s a terrific athlete with speed, strength and jumping ability, and he has a physique second to none. He’s also very competitive, and a ball magnet. In the air or on the floor, if he is anywhere near it, he’ll get it. He has a lot of pluses at the college level, but he is inconsistent and he is not a reliable long-distance shooter. He shines in the open court, but his half-court game is far more ordinary, even if he has one of the quickest crossovers and baseline drives you’ll see. Also, he is listed at 6-5, but I’m pretty sure he is at least an inch shorter. As strong as he is, he has a tough time scoring inside against the big trees in the Big East, so it’s logical to suppose he’ll have an even tougher time at the next level. He doesn’t handle well enough to play the point, he doesn’t shoot well enough to play 2-guard, and he isn’t big enough and doesn’t shoot well enough to play small forward. In other words, he has no position in the NBA, but he wouldn’t be the first with that problem. He’s already said he will be back next year, which is good for him and good for SU, but he would have to improve his handle and his long-distance shooting considerably to have a shot at the NBA. Too bad the kid didn’t take up football. He has the body and the mentality. I think his basketball future is overseas.