Toronto Raptors: 3 player comparisons for Scottie Barnes

The Toronto Raptors once again zigged when everyone thought they would zag, as they selected Florida State sensation Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 selection in the 2021 NBA Draft. As a result, the expected No. 4, Gonzaga point guard, Jalen Suggs, was sent to the Orlando Magic with the No. 5 pick.

The Raptors drafted one of the more unknown players in this draft, as Barnes’ skillset is one of the most unique we’ve seen in the last several drafts. His height, wingspan, and lack of great shooting suggest that he is a power forward, but his athletic ability, ball-handling, and passing all scream point guard. 

The Raptors need to make sure that the development of Barnes is a smooth process. As high as his ceiling is, his lack of shooting and skill with creating for himself makes his floor concerningly low.

While the Draymond Green comparisons make sense, let’s try to avoid the comparison everyone else has been using. The Raptors could look to these three players as potential futures for Barnes, as they offer a look at what his floor could be, what he may evolve into if everything goes as planned, and the ceiling he could reach if he hits his stride.

NBA comparisons for Toronto Raptors draft pick Scottie Barnes.

Low-End: Jabari Parker

Parker was taken second overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, as the Duke alum figured to create a super-young, super-versatile frontcourt of the future next to Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. While Giannis MORE than panned out, and while Parker averaged 20.1 points per game during his third season at age 21, he never made that leap to stardom.

While an ACL tear did give Parker a major roadblock on his road to success, the fact that he never became the defensive piece the Bucks hoped he would become. On offense, Parker was able to finish at the rim and snipe from midrange, but he was just a 32% 3-point shooter. Sound familiar?

Will Scottie Barnes end up like Jabari Parker?

Barnes might be a better ball-handler than Parker, but he still has a ton of the same concerns. Sure, he defended all five positions in college, but it’s a tall task to go from defending ACC players to the likes of Kyrie Irving and Joel Embiid. If the defense isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, Barnes’ offense might take him down Parker’s path.

While Parker is still carving out a very respectable career as a backup in Boston, he never took off and became a star, and his inability to expand his offensive game or supplement that game with defense was a big reason why. Barnes needs to make improvements to avoid this fate.

Mid-Range: Lamar Odom with better defense

Odom, who was coincidently also picked No. 4 overall in the 1999 NBA Draft, had one of the more underrated NBA careers in recent history. Before his noisy exit from the league, Odom was a show-stopper for some substandard Clippers teams before finding new life as a tertiary scorer on Kobe Bryant’s mid to late 2000s Lakers.

Odom’s career averages of 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game are even more impressive when you consider that he had Kobe and Pau Gasol taking shots away from him for large chunks of his career. Odom’s blend of shooting, athleticism, rebounding, and interior finishing made him ideal for those Laker teams.

Scottie Barnes could emulate Lamar Odom with the Toronto Raptors.

The Lakers were reliant on Odom’s ability to pull opposing bigs out of the paint and make a play by either getting to the rim or making a key pass. Barnes could easily fill that role on a championship team, and he could do so while providing even more defensive skills than Odom did.

Considering how raw Barnes is at the moment, if the Raptors can turn him into a player like Odom, a third scoring option on a title team or second option on a playoff team, Scottie would be a tremendous selection.

High-End: Marques Johnson

Some younger Raptors fans might be unaware of who Johnson was, as he played in just 10 games past the age of 30 due to injuries. However, Johnson changed the game with the Bucks, as offensive innovator and Milwaukee head coach Don Nelson made him arguably the first true point forward in NBA history.

During his seven years with the Bucks, Johnson averaged 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game at 6-7 and 210 pounds. Barnes might be able to rebounds and distribute at that level as a rookie, but if he gets his scoring up, he might match Johnson’s five All-Star selections and three All-NBA nods.

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Scottie Barnes should try to emulate Marques Johnson.

Johnson never won a championship, but the Bucks made the playoffs in all but one season of his tenure, including back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. Barnes taking the reins as the primary scorer could jump-start the Toronto retooling and get them back into title contention.

There aren’t a ton of players that have Barnes’ skillset in NBA history, as you can count on one hand the number of 6-9 point guards that have ever existed. Johnson is one of the few point forwards who scored at an elite level, and Barnes could be in for similar levels of success.