Raptors: Scottie Barnes’ hot start put him in some elite company

The Toronto Raptors went from a team expected to tread water until Pascal Siakam returns from his injury to one of the most entertaining young teams in the league in a matter of weeks, and the primary catalyst for this change has been rookie sensation Scottie Barnes.

Barnes has averaged 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in his first seven NBA contests, including two 20-point, 10-rebound performances on the road. For the sake of comparison, all other rookies in the league have a combined total of…zero. The improvement from his college days has been shocking.

The former Florida State star came into the league as an offensive question mark, yet he’s still made 55% of his shots early in his career, showing that he can still be a leading scorer without an elite 3-point shot. That combination of glass-crashing, scoring, and efficiency is exceedingly rare from a rookie, and most who hit those averages are destined for stardom.

Barnes became the seventh player since 1985 to average 18 points and eight rebounds on 50% shooting in their first seven NBA games. In addition to Barnes includes three Hall of Fame centers, two perennial All-Stars in their prime, and one of the best young players in the game today.

Scottie Barnes has been exceptional for the Toronto Raptors.

The most impressive part of this list is the fact that outside of Simmons, everyone else on this list is a power forward or center. Barnes has been playing a bit of a hybrid role, hanging out on the perimeter and getting some reps in the low post. Despite that, he’s still crashing the boards.

Two aspects of Barnes’ game have really stood out. First, his jump shot appears to be more advanced than it was in college, as he is willing to pull up from mid-range and knock down that 16-footer repeatedly.

Second, he looks like one of the best offensive rebounders in the game right now. How many times has he collected his own miss and finished at the rim? That skill has become invaluable, and it’s helped the Raptors get into a nice rhythm.

Considering that most observers came into the season unsure if Barnes would even start or averaged double-digits in points per game, the fact that he’s been the best player on the team for the last few games has been one of the more pleasant surprises in the league this season.

While players like Evan Mobley and a now-healthy Cade Cunningham will give Barnes a challenge, it’s not a controversial statement to say that Barnes is the frontrunner in the ROY race to this point. Anytime your hot start puts you alongside names like Shaq and Hakeem, you’re doing something right.