Cat Barber: New Orleans Pelicans

Cat Barber’s name was not called this past Thursday night at the NBA Draft. He was, however; quickly signed by the New Orleans Pelicans to play for their summer league team. Personally, I think the Pelicans could give Barber a good chance to impress. Head Coach Alvin Gentry employs a fast paced brand of basketball that could be tailored made for Cat Barber.

The Pelicans are building their summer league team around Buddy Heild, their first round selection out of Oklahoma. Barber could pair well with Heild as the two would be quite the one two punch scoring the basketball. Last season Heild ranked 2nd in the NCAA in points per game scoring 25, and Cat Barber finished 6th scoring 23.5 per game.

The Pelicans will open their summer league schedule on July 8th at 10:30 on ESPN. They will be taking on the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that will feature Brandon Ingram and D’Angelo Russell. If Cat Barber can prove that he can run a team and find a good balance between hunting his shot and getting his teammates involved then he may find a way into the NBA. I think the best thing Cat can do this summer league is win. Last season many felt like his numbers were empty as his individual accomplishments did not translate into wins.

I personally think Cat has some skills that could translate into the NBA game, but he must prove himself each game this summer league. That means playing hard nose defense and staying true to himself on offense. Be sure to tune in on July 8th to check out Cat Barber in his NBA debut.