Scottie Barnes is a star in the making

Is Scottie barnes the best rookie of 2022? This detailed film room analysis looks at the Toronto Raptors rookie, incorporating data and stats to understand how good he is right now, and how he can improve in the future. Will he be a great passer? A defensive player of the candidate? And what's his overall ceiling as a player?

Twitter: @elgee35

Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.

Stats courtesy:
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.

Music by csus (instrumental)

#ThinkingBasketball

[Jakob-W]

raptors fan here, was so stunned when they took him over jalen suggs. nobody expected that. what a great move by toronto, shout out to their scouts who actually took the time to study his game

[MarioDiciple]

This is one of those videos Im gonna watch in 2-4 years to see how much he grows into the potential. These are like time capsules that are interesting to revisit

[StandUpGill]

the raptors must be one of the most covered teams this year by basketball fans and independent producers. these productions have been a welcome sight for raptors fans.

[mambaevertv]

Scottie makes so many passes where he calls out the next pass to the recipient of his pass leading to a hockey assist that doesn't show up in the box score. He is the only player since Magic to play all 5 positions in his rookie season. This man will do whatever the team needs. Scottie has a sneaky good offensive game too and I am pretty confident if he was asked to score like Cade or Green, he would have ran away with the ROY already. This whole draft class is something special.

[Idotooomuchh]

This channel is genuinely amazing! ESPN could never offer this type of analysis let alone on a raptors player

[RasenRendanX]

Everyone mocked us for Drafting Scottie over Suggs. even our own fans.

Never. Doubt. Masai.

[JackChappleShow]

Barnes was measured 6'9 in the open gym footage the raptors have. He is always listed as 6'7 though for some reason. He is the tallest 6'7 player ever 😂 Great video. Scottie has been a revelation this year. His inside game is amazing

[snomeister]

There's two things that really stand out to me about Scottie Barnes. One, he absolutely does not look like a rookie when you watch him play, his bball IQ is so high that you always think he's a veteran player just by basing off of his play. And two, his intensity and attittude are absolutely top notch, he has all the groundwork to be an amazing leader for a team and one of the best locker room guys you could ever have.

[bobbyloveoblock]

“he does have huge hands so who knows if he’ll shoot well” the fact that kawhi‘s big ass became a great midrange shooter gives me hope for barnes

[teeceeemeeee]

A young player with a winning attitude, a team with a commitment to player development, and a coach who is creative. Scottie's growth will be amazing.

[Riggpoppa]

As someone who has watched every Raptors game this season, this video perfectly sums up Scottie Barnes. Well Done! Hopefully he finishes the season strong and steals that Rookie of the Year from Mobley.

[kono]

Being a raptor fan, i don't remember last time I was this excited for a rookie

[R.B.]

What's crazy is he was seen as a surprise pick. Even at the draft lottery it was all about securing a top for pick for either Cade, green, Mobley or Suggs. I think even kuminga was seen as the no Brainer number 5 after the "drop off" of the top 4... yet Masai did what Masai does and picked Scottie Barnes 4th and ends up with a franchise talent lol

[joseantoniolopezfranco]

Man, you don't really know how much I've been waiting for this! As a Scottie fan it's been tough hearing so little of him when compared to Cade or Mobley (understandably so, since they are really hyped 1st and 3rd picks), but I knew you would make something about him eventually.

I am really glad that I am not the only one seeing massive star potential, and I'm even higher on his shooting than you, since I think someone with so much touch around the basket and such a polished footwork will at least develop some kind of mid-range finesse.

I'm only really concerned about his free throw rates, since he is getting almost no attempts for a guy that generates so much of his scoring at the cup. It is a direct consequece of his mastery finding little blind spots instead of banging hard against the defender, but I think it could limit his efficiency a bit when scaling his role on offense.

Great video, Ben! Thanks for everything you've been giving us this year.

[hnzz]

He's also a perfect fit for Nurse's style of play. The defensive attributes + him being able to see the floor on both ends of the court makes him almost an ideal player for the Raptors. When he gets his shooting % up then the Raptors will become a force to be reckoned with yet again.

[holdencooper]

This man has been going crazy with the content this year! All love man you truly are are the best basketball content creator out there

[coledorillo]

Toronto already cherishes Scottie, he is our future

[trulykono]

I love the NBA now! Some players have improved, some have come back from the darkness and the rookies are really good in their own way. The league also has parody so no teams "dominate".

What a time to be an NBA fan

[melian]

Great analysis. Bobby Jones mention to boot. I 100% agree on no looks every play, and no need to double on certain plays/players. He is gonna be a beast, full off season of shooting. Future is bright

[Tonio]

I said earlier this season that's he's gonna be like a Shawn Marion type with better ball handling & passing & will probably be one of the most important wings of this upcoming era with his all around game