Montverde Academy gave the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons some potential franchise players in the 2021 NBA Draft, as Masai Ujiri was able to add Florida State’s Scottie Barnes to the roster just a few picks after Troy Weaver began the draft by selecting Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham.
Barnes’ hot start in the NBA has taken many by surprise, as he was thought to be incredibly raw on the offensive side. With 15.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game through 22 contests, Barnes has shown that his ability to get to the rim is already befuddling NBA defenders.
With Cunningham missing the start of the season due to an injury, Barnes and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley zoomed right to the top of the Rookie of the Year race, as they have both been impact contributors on both ends for their respective teams. However, Cunningham is starting to heat up.
In the last four games, Cunningham is making 51% of his shots while averaging 22.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Cade picked up his second career triple-double, which proves that some of the early season issues plaguing him are melting away. Has he usurped Barnes in the hypothetical rookie power rankings?
Toronto Raptors: Is Scottie Barnes playing better than Cade Cunningham?
Some might resist comparing the two players given how wildly different their styles are. While Barnes is a two-way stopper with handles in the OG Anunoby mold, Cunningham is an oversized point guard that is willing to be the primary offensive generator during his rookie season.
Still, even when you take into account the fact that these two are being asked to play two different roles, Barnes is still having the better season so far. What he’s been able to give to this Raptors team as they fight for their playoff lives has been nothing short of astonishing.
While Cunningham is going to get his gaudy numbers by virtue of both his immense talent and his situation as the primary offensive force in Detroit, Barnes is continuing to make his mark on both ends with a Toronto team that doesn’t let him dominate the ball.
When one looks at these 2 statistical edges that Barnes still holds over Cunningham despite the No. 1 overall pick’s recent hot streak, it becomes clear that No. 4 is just barely edging out the former Cowboys star.
Reason No. 1: Efficiency
Barnes has made his mark on the Raptors by converting on a solid 49% of his shots. With a true shooting percentage of 54.5%, Barnes has maintained his solid start on the stat sheet while continuing to expand his range. Barnes was the one who came into the NBA with shooting questions, but he’s outpacing Cunningham in this area.
Cunningham is making just 38% of his shots and 31% percent of his 3-point attempts despite taking just over seven deep shots per game. With a true shooting percentage of 48.2%, Cunningham might be putting it all together after a slow start, but his numbers still pale in comparison to Barnes.
Barnes is also winning the turnover battle, coughing it up just 2.0 times per game compared to Cunningham’s 3.8 per game.
Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes is more efficient than Cade Cunningham.
The biggest question surrounding Barnes as a prospect was his inability to be a consistent jump-shooting threat. Not only does he has a solid mid-range game, but he is making 36% of his 3-point attempts on nearly two attempts per game. Since November 21, Barnes is making 45% of his 3-point attempts on 4.1 heaves per contest.
Attempting just over 12 shots per game in just under 36 minutes per game isn’t the greatest volume in the world. Not only is Barnes managing to make those shots count, but he’s doing so while providing some quality on-ball defense at several positions.
Reason No. 2: Production on a better team
Cunningham is showing off the traits that will make him a future All-Star in this league, but the Pistons are more than willing to sacrifice wins this year to let Cunningham grow. Barnes does not have that same luxury, as the Raptors are trying to both retool on the fly and compete for a postseason birth.
Even with OG Anunoby sidelined, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are going to vacuum up a large number of touches and shots. Toronto can’t afford to just let Scottie take the game over and inflate his stats that way, yet he continues to be an impact player.
Scottie Barnes’ Raptors are better than Cade Cunningham’s Pistons.
Even though the Raptors have only played one game this season in which all five of their projected starters and top reserve Khem Birch have been healthy, Barnes is finding ways to be a consistent contributor. Cunningham’s Pistons may have taken down the Raptors once, but that is just one of four wins this team has to their name.
Part of the reason that Mobley has leapfrogged Barnes and Cunningham in the eyes of some has been the way he’s helped turn the Cavaliers into a winning team. If victories are still impactful in the eyes of voters, Cade might find it difficult to leapfrog Barnes in the Rookie of the Year power rankings.