3 Players Scottie Barnes could turn into, from MVP to a flash in the pan
The Toronto Raptors are all-in on Scottie Barnes.
They just agreed to a maximum rookie extension with the budding star, who made his first All-Star team last year as a third-year player. He is a unique NBA player, with the bulk and length of a big man and the playmaking skills of a point guard. His combination of scoring, passing, shooting and defensive playmaking is literally unique in NBA history.
Even if everyone is agreed that Scottie Barnes will grow into a star, the question of what kind of star he becomes is a vital one to answer. A low-end All-Star is not enough to drive a contending team on his own, while if he becomes an MVP he could be the centerpiece of a title team.
Based on his play style and accomplishments thus far, who are some modern NBA comparisons for Scottie Barnes? Let's look at three players, ranging from a low-end -- and therefore disappointing -- outcome, building to a high-end, trophy-winning dominant comparison.
Low Outcome: Rudy Gay
Toronto fans will remember Rudy Gay, and likely not with a lot of fondness. By the time he reached the Raptors for a brief 51-game stint across two seasons, Gay had morphed into a score-first forward that the Raptors were happy to see moved on to Sacramento in a trade that built the bench for years of winning teams in Toronto.
Earlier in his career, however, Gay was more of a two-way impact player. In his age-21 season Gay averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks, numbers that ring similar to Barnes' age-21 season that he just completed. Gay missed out on an All-Star spot in a star-studded Western Conference, but overall their careers were off to similar starts.
From there Gay's efficiency as a high-volume scorer eroded, and his defense fell off precipitously. He also was never much of a playmaker, leveraging his on-ball scoring ability for himself only. Barnes is larger and has a more varied skillset, although he could certainly grow as an on-ball scorer compared to Gay early in his career. Overall, Barnes' season last year was as good from a team perspective as any that Gay had, but if he plateaus in his development he could disappoint in a similar way to Gay.