Forever linked through the NBA draft, Scottie Barnes and Jalen Suggs will meet on the NBA stage for the first time Friday. But only five games into the season, the Raptors’ draft-night decision looks pretty good as things stand at the moment. (loung_s)
Taken fourth and fifth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, the link between Barnes and Suggs, to many, was apparently made when the Raptors took Barnes at No. 4 instead of Suggs, whom many expected them to draft at the spot.
On Thursday, when asked about the matchup, Barnes did his best to couch some of the anticipation that this showdown between the Nos. 4 and 5 picks looks to be building -- saying “social media is gonna do its thing regardless what happens” -- but given some of the criticism seen from both the media and the team’s fan base, alike, over the Raptors’ decision to take Barnes over Suggs, that's to be expected.
As mentioned before, five games isn’t much of a sample size, but in just about every counting stat, it’s clear that Barnes has been the better player so far. Additionally, on the defensive end of the floor, Raptors coach Nick Nurse has trusted Barnes already with some tough assignments such as Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum, and Barnes has held his own on that end of things.
Conversely, though Barnes is a high draft pick, the Raptors’ internal structure doesn’t necessarily need Barnes to step in and be a star immediately -- even though that’s what he’s been doing so far. Barnes was primarily used as a sixth man at Florida State, and his productivity looked to take a small hit because of it. Additionally, Barnes was also learning point guard on the fly, meaning he wasn’t slotted into what appears to be his more natural spot like he is with the Raptors at the three and four.
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