When it's all said and done, I think many basketball fans will look back at the 2021 NBA Draft class as one of the most-stacked and talent-rich pools in history. Of course, the legendary 2003 class will always hold a nostalgic place in the hearts of hoops enthusiasts, as well as the 1984 and 1996 drafts. But in recent memory, the Class of '21 stands a cut above the rest. Speaking of being a cut above the rest, we turn to the Rookie of the Year winner from that class, Raptors cornerstone Scottie Barnes.
Scottie Barnes' stellar performance in the 2025-26 season so far has contributed to Toronto's strong 8-5 start, despite a bit of a dry spell during the first five games of the year. Barnes has been every bit the two-way ace he's been touted to be, and sharing the rock with a talented starting cast that includes other key offensive threats in RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, who's seen quite the surge as of late.
And it's this balanced brand of hoops that places Scottie Barnes ahead of his very talented batch of contemporaries. As noted by the Raptors PR team on a recent game notes release, Scottie Barnes is the "first player from the 2021 NBA Draft class to record 5,000+ points and 1,000+ assists."
Scottie Barnes set the standard for his 2021 draft peers
To be more specific, at the time of writing, Barnes has registered 5,012 points and 1,436 assists across 289 games played in his career thus far. That is quite the feat to boast for Number Four, considering the other guys in this class include some of this generation's best such as Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Franz Wagner, Josh Giddey, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Johnson, and many other honorable mentions from the loaded talent pool.
For reference, Cade Cunningham is not far behind with 4,890 points and 1,639 assists, Alperen Sengun currently has 4,859 points and 1,249 assists, while 2021-22 ROTY runner-up Evan Mobley has 4,662 points and 838 assists. Although a key tidbit to note is that Magic dynamic wing Franz Wagner has Barnes beat with 5,876 points and 1,121 assists, recognize that this stat does not label Barnes as the only player from the 2021 class to achieve this career feat — only the first.
Giving credit where credit is due, it’s no secret that the entire 2021 draft class is full of talented players. However, when it comes to the range and connective support that Scottie Barnes provides his Raptors team, it’s clear that he ranks among the very best in the league. And if we want to get a little crazy, maybe Scottie Barnes is edging into a spot that all-time great LeBron James has largely held throughout his career — the title of the league’s most versatile player.