A Gold Medalist in the FIBA U-19 World Cup in 2019, Scottie Barnes turned heads in his lone season at Florida State, winning the ACC Freshman of the Year, but it was a little puzzling that he went fourth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Toronto knew exactly what they were doing.
The Power Forward became a starter for the Raptors on day one, and he would become the third Raptor following Damon Stoudamire and Vince Carter to win the Rookie of the Year. Barnes averaged 15 Points with 7.5 Rebounds in his debut campaign, with him showing typical numbers with a defensive deficiency in advanced metrics, but that is typical of youth. Barnes regressed in his second season, while although matching his PPG of 15.3, his other stats across the board dipped, though was poised for a breakout in his third season.
Last season, Barnes made it to his first All-Star Game, and with the mid-season trade of other stars (Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby) he became the face of the team. Barnes should be able to build on his 19.9 PPG year.
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