Positive No. 2: Scottie Barnes grabs the spotlight.
It took the city about five minutes to talk ourselves into Barnes. After two months of prepping for a rookie named Suggs, the selection of Barnes at pick 4 came as a bit of a shock.
I’ll admit, there were moments where it looked foolish to pass on a sure thing like Suggs, but as soon as Barnes stepped out on the Summer League floor, the script flipped.
It was almost love at first sight. Winning the opening tip for Toronto, Barnes looked huge out there with his strong frame at 6-9. The “bigger Draymond Green” comparisons were immediately justified as Barnes screamed, scrapped, and clawed his way to a debut victory, stuffing the stat sheet in the process.
Scottie Barnes finishes the breakaway jam to tie it up with 20 seconds to go on NBA TV! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/pZlNp4zBYl
— NBA (@NBA) August 15, 2021
Scottie Barnes looked very promising for the Raptors.
There have been countless lottery picks in the past that fit the “so talented, if only they could shoot” designation, but I can’t remember those words ringing truer for anyone than Barnes. Every other facet of his game looked exemplary.
He’s an excellent interior finisher (over 62% in college), his passing and ball-handling are elite for a man his size, and he’s got a good feel and reads the game well, particularly on the defensive end. The best part about him is his personality.
He’s got a LITTLE bit of Kevin Garnett to him. The intensity, the fire, the passion, it’s that sort of the approach that will make him a fan favorite this year, not to mention what it says about his long-term growth.