Which 3 NBA legends should Scottie Barnes model his game after?

Legend No. 3: Ben Wallace

In all regards, Ben Wallace is one of the biggest anomalies in all of basketball. Standing at a measly 6'9" for a center, the fact that Wallace was a complete non-factor on offense - never averaging over 10 points per game in a single season - was overshadowed by his otherworldly impact on the defensive end.

Wallace was well-versed in filling up the stat sheet, averaging 12.9 rebounds and nearly 3 blocks per game while securing a staggering 4 Defensive Player of the Year awards in his time with Detroit. What he did on the court made him one of the most exciting centers of his era, but what he didn't do was equally as important.

Throughout his 16-year career, Wallace never finished a season averaging over 3.0 fouls per game, a stat that seems impossible considering the sheer disadvantage his height gave him. Though Wallace was an electrifying shot blocker, he was also an incredibly disciplined interior defender; by leveraging his 240-pound frame, Wallace would essentially box his opponents out before the shot was even in the air.

Listed at 6'7" and 237 lbs, Scottie shares a similar build to Wallace as an athletically gifted yet slightly undersized interior defender. Unfortunately for Barnes, the NBA is only getting taller, and among the likes of players like Victor Wembanyama, freak athleticism will only get you so far.

For the Raptors to begin competing with the best they'll need Scottie to handle the dirty work in the paint, and if he can become capable of holding his own against the league's best centers, it would do wonders for the Raptors' defensive potential.