I think legendary endorsements are in no short supply when it comes to Raptors star Scottie Barnes.
Earlier in January, all-time great Charles Barkley spoke highly of Barnes during a national TV broadcast of Inside the NBA, suggesting that the 23-year-old star was "one of the 10, 15 best players in the world.”
Fast forward to March, and we have another notable NBA icon speaking fondly of Scottie Barnes. In fact, he just so happens to be one of the Raptors franchise's greatest players in history: Mr. "Half-Man, Half-Amazing" himself, Vince Carter.
Carter has been a guest commentator for several Raptors game broadcasts this season, and during Toronto's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on March 30, he discussed the potential he sees in Barnes' game—comparing him to a championship-caliber, do-it-all MVP who is arguably the best player in the NBA today.
Vince Carter envisions Scottie Barnes as a Nikola Jokic-lite player
Carter's exact statement during the Sportsnet broadcast was as follows: "I truly believe Scottie Barnes can be a guy, hear me out, like a [Nikola] Jokić, where he can stuff the stat sheet. He can get you close to a triple-double. His numbers can almost look like that, to where he's getting 15, 17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists."
That’s quite the star-studded endorsement from Carter, and it’s even wilder that he’d mention Barnes' potential to be a Jokic-esque talent. That’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility, given the diverse skills of number four.
Now, I mentioned in another article not too long ago that it might be time for Raptors Nation to dial down their expectations for Scottie Barnes. His fourth-year campaign hasn't shown a significant superstar leap, but he remains a defensive force, a playmaking machine, and a servicable scorer on most nights.
Who in the NBA exemplifies those qualities to a tee? Well, Nikola Jokic, of course. However, where Jokic has the edge over Barnes is in his ability to consistently rise to the occasion, effortlessly balancing rebounds, assists, and scoring at an absurdly high level. Barnes is much younger—both in age and maturity on an NBA level, as seen with constant complaints to the refs and fluctuating offensive efforts.
To put it bluntly, he still lacks the poise in Jokic's game that makes him an undeniable MVP candidate year after year.
These comments aren't too far off from what I said about Barnes in my piece, "Scottie Barnes is not your prototypical NBA star, and that's completely fine," from back in December. I don't think Carter meant that Barnes will become Jokic 2.0, per se, but as he said in his "hear me out," he can embody the traits that make a guy like Jokic so impactful—someone who's present in multiple facets of the game, leading his team to success.
I’m really glad to hear the face of the Raptors' last generation saying such positive things about the guy who's set to be the Raptors' poster boy for the new era. If I were Scottie Barnes, I’d be smiling from ear to ear knowing that the great Vince Carter has strong faith in my potential and abilities.