3 pleasant surprises on the Toronto Raptors roster in 2021-22
By Mike Luciano
2. Scottie Barnes
When the Raptors took Barnes fourth overall in the NBA Draft, they expected him to be an impact defender and quality rebounder while his offensive potential was brought along very judiciously. So far, Barnes has evolved into an impact player that has led the team in scoring multiple times.
Barnes went into last night averaging 14.7 points per game on 47% shooting. With a 3-point percentage of 31% on just under three attempts per game, he’s showing signs of what could be in his future on the offensive end. Did anyone expect him to be this dynamic on offense this soon?
Scottie Barnes is way ahead of schedule for the Toronto Raptors.
Barnes can suffer from a lack of aggression on the offensive end, but that’s a relatively minor complaint. He’s been such a dynamic presence on both ends that it would surprise absolutely no one if he ends up taking home Rookie of the Year honors. Barnes is an integral part of this team’s future.
It’s hard for Barnes to really emerge as a high-volume threat at this point in his given all of the proven veterans he shares the floor with at any given time, but Toronto has to be thrilled with the fact he can be trusted to eat up a steady diet of shots in his first season. The best is still to come.