2021 redraft is a complete insult to Raptors’ star Scottie Barnes

The Toronto Raptors are likely not going to make the playoffs this year, meaning that they must focus all of their energy on making Scottie Barnes as good as possible, Barnes is showing that he is still one of the most dangerous young players in the sport.

Barnes has averaged 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game in his second season in the league. Since the calendar flipped to 2023, however, he has upped those averages to 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Keep in mind that he’s doing this alongside four other starters who all need to get paid soon.

Barnes is one of many 2021 draftees who have immediately established themselves as key starters for their respective clubs. Barnes may not be the no-doubt No. 1 player from this class, but the idea that some publications see him as a notch or two below the other top sophomores is laughable, to say the least.

The Ringer’s 2021 redraft was laughable, as Barnes was regarded as the fifth-best player. Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey were the top two players, with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Orlando’s Franz Wagner somehow leaping over Barnes.

Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes ranked fifth in 2021 redraft.

Mobley, like Barnes, has very similar statistics to his rookie campaign. Penalizing Scottie for being on a bad team and putting those numbers up is one thing, but how can Mobley still be regarded as the gold standard of 2021 players despite making less of an impact this season?

While Giddey and Wagner have solid arguments, especially the Australian dynamo in Oklahoma City, Barnes producing as he does with so many ball-dominant players taking shots away from him should be factored into the decision-making. Cunningham might be more talented on a base level, but he’s played for a terrible team and has missed time with injuries.

The Raptors are asking for a ton, perhaps too much, from a 21-year-old player. Barnes has been a traditional point guard, point center, wing, and low-post big this season, sometimes all in the same game. The fact he’s been able to perform amid all that turbulence has been impressive.

Barnes may have struggled out of the gate, but he is back to his old self. The fact that voters are holding his slow start against him despite the fact that he has thrived over the last few months doesn’t make sense. Not having him at the top isn’t egregious, but having him that low is strange.