Scottie Barnes’s defensive impact is undeniable. His ability to guard multiple positions, force turnovers, and protect the rim made him the backbone of the fifth-best defense in the NBA this past season. He was rewarded with an All-Defensive Second Team selection—although he suggested on social media that he expected better—but the first-team honors shouldn’t elude him for much longer.
What makes Barnes stand out in particular are his clutch plays. Not only is he one of the best, most switchable defenders in the NBA, but he also makes big plays in the most important, game-deciding moments that almost no one else can pull off. It’s something Sam Vecenie noted when outlining why Barnes finished eighth on his list of top 25 defenders in the NBA on the August 23 episode of The Game Theory Podcast.
“Just his ability to anticipate what’s going on and make big defensive plays,” Vecenie said. “I honestly don’t think there was a single player in the NBA last year that made more game-altering final two minutes of the game defensive plays than Scottie did last year. When he was locked in, he was everywhere. He was all over the court. He flew around.”
Scottie Barnes led the NBA in clutch blocks
Many of the things Barnes does defensively at any point in the game don’t show up on a stat sheet. His clutch blocks, however, did.
Barnes recorded nine total blocks in clutch time during the regular season. No player topped that number. Alperen Sengun, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kevin Durant, Tyrese Maxey, and Victor Wembanyama tied for second place with seven clutch blocks. Over the past five seasons, only 11 players recorded more than 9 clutch blocks, and the vast majority of them are true centers and more traditional rim protectors.
Barnes and the Raptors also played almost 14 clutch minutes over three games in the playoffs. He recorded two steals and one block in those minutes as well as four defensive rebounds, also making big plays and closing out possessions in the playoffs.
Barnes and the Raptors should be excellent defensively next season
If everything goes according to plan, the Raptors will trade Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and a few draft picks to the Clippers for Kawhi Leonard. While 35 and injury-prone, Leonard is a more impactful defender than Ingram. So, his addition, plus development from Collin Murray-Boyles, should improve the Raptors’ defense—a scary thought considering that they already finished fifth in defensive rating and forced a ton of turnovers this past season.
With a healthy season from Leonard and all other key players, the Raptors could easily be in the running for the best defense in the NBA. Just imagine trying to score against a lineup of Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Collin Murray-Boyles. That lineup will give even the best offensive teams nightmares.
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