2. Passing
Box score scouts might not be impressed by 2.2 assists per game, but those numbers belie how effective Barnes has been as a distributor. Nurse is not afraid to let Barnes initiate offense, and he has rewarded his head coach by pulling off some genuinely impressive dimes in his young career.
While he uncorked several amazing passes in his 25-point, 13-rebound blitz against the Celtics, their win against Indiana might’ve been the most impressive Barnes has been all season long. He had just two turnovers while handing out a career-high seven assists against a very big, physical Pacers team.
The Toronto Raptors have seen Scottie Barnes make some amazing passes.
Barnes was used as a point guard in Tallahassee, and while this helped give the Seminoles some matchup nightmares, how he was used may not have been conducive to getting the most out of him on offense. Nurse has made him effectively a hybrid player, equally adept at both hanging out in the paint and creating near the perimeter.
When Pascal Siakam returns to the fold, Barnes will have the added benefit of an All-Star in the paint that Barnes could locate with some more of his show-stopping passes. If he learns to work on avoiding turnovers, something every young player has struggled with at some point, the assist numbers should skyrocket.