Clippers couldn’t stop praising Scottie Barnes after Raptors win

While the upstart Los Angeles Clippers gave Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors everything they could handle, Toronto puts the clamps on their offensive attack down the stretch to secure a 103-100 victory. Toronto won their fifth straight game after a sluggish second-half start.

Barnes recorded 15 points in the win, coming alive in the second half with some big stops on defense and timely finishes on offense. Despite the fact he can’t legally buy a beer in America, Toronto is still putting the ball in his hands late in the game. That should speak volumes.

While Reggie Jackson was more adversarial and combative in his post-game availability, players like Terance Mann were in awe of what Barnes brings to the table. While he wasn’t the leading scorer, it’s clear that Scottie played a major role in sealing a victory for the Raptors.

Mann, a Florida State alum who left school right before Barnes joined, claimed that his fellow Seminole is “built like a 2K MyPlayer” thanks to his guard-like athletic ability and forward-like size. Considering he’s defending centers and point guards with equal frequency lately, it’s easy to see why so many are blown away by him.

The Clippers had tons of praise for Toronto Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes.

Clippers coach Ty Lue claims that Barnes reminded him of Draymond Green as a defender due to his insane switchability and physicality. Lue said that Barnes “does whatever it takes to win” right before praising his penchant for coming up with timely plays in difficult situations.

Being compared to Draymond is extremely lofty, especially when it looks like Barnes might be a touch more perimeter-oriented on both sides of the ball. Still, if any opposing coach knows Green’s style of play, it’s the guy who kept running into him in the Finals. Putting Barnes in that tier is quite the compliment.

Since the start of the second half, Barnes is averaging 18.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He has matched his career-high of 28 points twice in a three-game span, recorded five double-doubles, and hit double figures in points in all but one game. He has been on quite a roll lately.

Masai Ujiri invested heavily in Barnes because he believed that someone with his combination of size and athletic ability made him a herald of what the NBA is going to look like in the next five years. Considering the glowing praise we’ve seen around the league, it looks like the rest of the league is on board with Ujiri.