The basketball careers of Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barmes and New York Knicks stud RJ Barrett are not that dissimilar. Both were star high school recruits at Montverde Academy that joined top ACC schools, were drafted in the top four picks in their respective drafts, and played a part in turning their franchises around.
While both have a very friendly demeanor and likely don’t have any genuine animosity towards one another, they are both aware of the fact that they will have to lock horns with each other multiple times a year for the next decade in the competitive Atlantic Division.
Barrett and Barnes went at each other frequently in Toronto’s overtime win at Madison Square Garden. RJ may have ended up with 32 points, but Scottie’s 26 helped Toronto get the victory. Barrett is eyeing revenge for that loss and Pascal Siakam’s 52-point masterclass, but time will tell if he is actually capable of securing it.
“It’s going to be a tough, physical playoff-type game,” Barrett said, via the New York Post. “That’s what it’s been the three times we played them. We owe them. It’s going to be a good matchup. You know I’m excited.”
Barrett also mentioned that he is relishing the idea of guarding Barnes, hinting that the Florida State product won’t be able to hang with him. “That’s what I want,” Barrett said. “He had a good game . Rookie of the Year. Good player. I’m not taking anything away from him. But he got to guard me, too.”
The rivalry between RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes goes back to high school, writes @SBondyNYDN
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) January 21, 2023
Now the two are NBA foes with mutual respect — but have some extra motivation for their head-to-head in Toronto.https://t.co/4Uud1WHnDQ
Will Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes slow down RJ Barrett?
Barrett is averaging 20.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season, essentially replicating his performance from last season. While Barnes’ 15.5 points per game look much worse than that, he’s averaged just under 19 points per game since the start of the new year.
Barrett also mentioned that before Barnes transferred to Montverde, the two of them used to butt heads in high school. Barrett isn’t going anywhere, so Barnes needs to learn quickly from any defensive struggles that he may have had and turn them around.
What an absolute DOT from Scottie Barnes pic.twitter.com/jnalI8sGIV
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) January 16, 2023
The Raptors and Knicks are not at the level of the elite titans of the Atlantic like Boston, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn just yet, so these two will need to perform well against one another to avoid getting wearing the dreaded last place dunce cap. Whoever wins the Barrett vs. Barnes matchup will play a big role in determining the victor.