Vince Carter hypes up Scottie Barnes’ star potential with Raptors

The Toronto Raptors have hit a few grand slams in the NBA Draft, and it appears as though 2021 No. 4 overall pick Scottie Barnes may eventually be headed down the same path that legendary names like Chris Bosh and Vince Carter have walked. His rookie season has been nothing short of sensational.

Barnes is fighting for the Rookie of the Year award and doing everything he can to make sure the Raptors stay in the play-in hunt. His career night against the Nets showed that he is starting to be even more aggressive on the offensive end than what we saw right before the break.

Before Toronto’s loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Carter joined Alvin Williams in the broadcast booth. When asked what he thinks about Barnes potentially being the centerpiece of the next era of Raptors basketball, Carter seemed to be very bullish on the Florida State product.

Carter was quoted as saying Barnes is “mature beyond his years” before adding that the Raptors have a “star in the making.” After Barnes’ two-way skills helped him become one of the most important players on this team instantly, the next few seasons are looking extremely promising for the young dynamo.

Vince Carter thinks the Toronto Raptors struck gold with Scottie Barnes.

Barnes is currently fourth in points per game, third in rebounds per game, and fourth in assists per game among all rookies. Keep in mind the fact that Barnes’ selection was initially questioned because of concerns related to his offensive game. After a few months, those gripes look borderline ridiculous.

Carter came into the NBA as a highlight-reel dunker that needed some slight tweaks to become a more consistent offensive player, meaning that he and Barnes share some parallels. As the season goes on, Barnes’ development is being examined with an even greater degree of interest.

Luckily, Barnes is already a much more refined player than what we saw early in the season. The off-ball mistakes on defense are decreasing and he’s earned enough trust with this coaching staff to get some reps as a point guard. Barnes has been entrusted with taking and making some huge shots when the game is on the line.

Barnes has quite a long way to go before he equals Carter’s on-court brilliance and impact on the franchise. However, Vince seems to be all-in on Barnes’ potential within this offense and this organization. If anyone knows what it takes to develop into a star for this team, it’s Carter.