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A top-10 recruit going into college and tipped to land in the top ten picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, Scottie Barnes was selected by the Toronto Raptors with their fourth overall selection on Thursday night.
The Florida State prospect was the biggest riser in the predraft process and even landed above March Madness star Jalen Suggs, who the Raptors were expected to select. In this article, we will analyze how Scottie Barnes will fit into the Toronto Raptors' setup and what attributes he will bring with him into the league.
Player Profile: Scottie Barnes
Ahead of his commitment to join Florida State, Scottie Barnes was a consensus five-star recruit and was voted the fourth-best player and best power forward in his class of 2020. He played for three separate high school basketball programs and excelled in each. First with Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach where he earned a place in the All-Area second team.
He then played for two seasons at NSU University School in Fort Lauderdale, where he was teammates with Charlotte Hornets center Vernon Carey Jr.. He won two straight 5A state titles, losing only seven times, and earned the MVP award after leading University school to a City of Palms Classic championship.
He then moved on to team up with the 2021 No.1 pick Cade Cunningham and Day'Ron Sharpe at Montverde Academy, where they formed one of the greatest high school basketball teams in history.
With Florida State, Scottie Barnes earned the ACC's Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year awards after averaging 10.3 points, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Scottie Barnes' Skillset
Barnes' frame, length and sharpness are what will have endeared him most to the Toronto Raptors. He has the potential to be an elite defender 1-through-5 and has earned comparisons to Warriors leader Draymond Green.
He has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and is about 225lbs, making him a physical and disruptive presence for opponents. Despite his frame, he has swift footwork, meaning he can also hold his own against quicker guards using his stride length. Not only does he have the tools to be a great NBA defender, he has the passion and desire to win, both for himself and his teammates as a very unselfish player.
On offense, Scottie Barnes does have some downsides. His three-point shooting was poor this season, connecting with 27.5% of efforts and he struggles to create shots for himself. He would be better off, therefore, playing beside a spacing five while he finds his shooting touch. Since he is coming to the league firstly as a role player or as a starter taking less efforts, improving his scoring is of utmost importance this summer.
How does Scottie Barnes fit with the Toronto Raptors?
Toronto Raptors fans were prepared to see Jalen Suggs line up beside Fred VanVleet in October when the NBA resumed with the expected departure of veteran point guard Kyle Lowry. However, they will now be intrigued to see how Nick Nurse is able to fit their top-4 selection, Scottie Barnes, into the mix.
By selecting Barnes, the expectation is that the Raptors are looking toward their future, rather than fixing a short-term issue. This does not rule out the fact that Barnes will be an excellent option and regular starter for Toronto this season. However, the forward spots were not necessarily a huge issue for the franchise.
Nevertheless, Scottie Barnes has the defensive nous and intelligence in his game to fit in well with the Toronto Raptors' culture. Arguably, around the spots that he was expected to be chosen, Barnes could not have asked for a better team in which to develop his skills. The Orlando Magic, who were next in line in the draft, have a plethora of options at center and don't have the kind of scoring options that would help space the floor for Barnes.
In a Toronto Raptors lineup, it is likely that Nurse may choose to go small with OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam joining Barnes in the frontcourt. While it is not a year-long option, it certainly gives the former Coach of the Year a chance to survey his options should they make a return to the playoffs. It also gives the Raptors a lot of length and athleticism to defend the perimeter and interior going forward.
Although they probably need a center to challenge the likes of the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks in the postseason, having a dearth of options on the wing is something the Toronto Raptors can live with. They may not have gone for the glamorous pick or the one that may have helped them in a trade to land a superstar, but Barnes offers huge defensive upside and tremendous passing ability for a wing of his size.
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