Official Scottie Barnes Thread - Part 6

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pretty good company for scottie

Haters in absolute shambles right now.

He's #4 after the game today.

For reference, Pascal is +0.6 and Fred is +1.3, two players the haters said were better than Scottie (some still argue this ).

Dame is +3.2 and KD is +4.5, two players (both in their mid 30s) haters wanted us to trade Scottie for.

[XTC]

Scottie is legit scary.

His defense has taken another step, he's a legit point guard on offense, he might not ever average 30, but he's going to be a very efficient 20+ per game.

He's such a monster this year, loving it. You can't name 20 players better than scottie this year. He's tracking for an allstar birth and an All NBA selection.

[XTC]

It's crazy how fans where picking Wagner over Scottie last season

[TorontoBarneys]

Scottie on track to win MIP I think.

[ItsDanger]

Remember those great posts about on/off stats? Lesson is don't cherry pick your data analysis.

[WuTang_CMB]

Scottie is an absolute force when he drives and putting him in position to be the screener then either roll, take the open midrange shot, step back for the three or make the next pass is ideal because he reads the floor so well and he has the ability to do so many things. Lineups with Scottie as the small ball 5 have more often than not been very effective in large part because of his decision making and versatility.

This is why I think Darko is going to be a good coach for us with more time. He's generally saying all of the right things, but he just hasn't come up with a plan for how to execute it all yet and he/the team is still learning on the fly. He does crap like playing the bench together (or Scottie + 4 reserves) and sticking with a rigid substitution pattern (which always takes Scottie out very early in Q1/Q3 regardless of how he's playing or matchups on the floor), but he's doing more good than bad for the future of the franchise and it's clear he has goals in mind. I just don't agree with some of them (like starting Schroder and giving him the green light lol).

Scottie has been our best player to start the year for sure. His improvement is evident. Darko is trying to figure out this roster still so I can understand his focus is more on that. Scottie is coming along, I dont think we can ask for more based on the roster construction.

[Tripod]

Scottie on track to win MIP I think.

Nope. Maxey is on another level.

[Tofubeque]

Remember when this board had pages of discussion and Boris Diaw comps for Scottie because he didn't sufficiently cook Marvin Bagley in a summer workout?

viewtopic.php?p=107821404#p107821404

Good times. 4 months ago

[Vampirate]

I honestly don't think it's Barnes driving that's going to be his biggest strengths.

He just doesn't have the first step for it.

It's his combination of strength and shooting (ironically) that's what's going to make him an All Star, and I don't just mean from three point range.

Handle - Good, not All Star Level
Driving - Ok, not All Star Level
Passing - Very Good - Not All Star level (the Hali/LaMelo range)

Yeah, im confused that he said driving. Maybe he means transition ?

Even Siakam on a down year is still driving more than Scottie.

Weirdly, having a shortcoming (lack of a first step) and being able to overcome that shortcoming by other means is kind of a blessing in disguise.

For example, If Barnes had the burst of Kuminga, would he have felt the need to work on his shooting as much as he has if he could just blow by anyone and get to the rim at will?

Obviously burst plus shooting is the best combination, but that's super rare, especially in a 6"8-6"9 body.

The first step is probably the most worrisome offensive weapon because of how it can decline, handles are the best though.

Luka definitely does not have a great first step, he's just very smart, good size and has a very good handle.

John Wall on the other hand relied on speed to score, and didn't become more than that as a scorer.

[HumbleRen]

I honestly don't think it's Barnes driving that's going to be his biggest strengths.

He just doesn't have the first step for it.

It's his combination of strength and shooting (ironically) that's what's going to make him an All Star, and I don't just mean from three point range.

Handle - Good, not All Star Level
Driving - Ok, not All Star Level
Passing - Very Good - Not All Star level (the Hali/LaMelo range)

Yeah, im confused that he said driving. Maybe he means transition ?

Even Siakam on a down year is still driving more than Scottie.

Weirdly, having a shortcoming (lack of a first step) and being able to overcome that shortcoming by other means is kind of a blessing in disguise.

For example, If Barnes had the burst of Kuminga, would he have felt the need to work on his shooting as much as he has if he could just blow by anyone and get to the rim at will?

Obviously burst plus shooting is the best combination, but that's super rare, especially in a 6"8-6"9 body.

The first step is probably the most worrisome offensive weapon because of how it can decline, handles are the best though.

Luka definitely does not have a great first step, he's just very smart, good size and has a very good handle.

John Wall on the other hand relied on speed to score, and didn't become more than that as a scorer.

Luka does have a great first step but it’s mainly due to how incredible his ability to stop and go is. It’s not conventional athleticism but it’s something maybe 1% of the nba has. Add that with strength and touch and you get Luka lol.

Scottie’s bread and butter will be his handles, strength and jump shot.

[djsunyc]

if scottie develops that jimmy butler type of savvy game where he can draw fouls instead of taking a tough shot - then he becomes a star.

[Vampirate]

Yeah, im confused that he said driving. Maybe he means transition ?

Even Siakam on a down year is still driving more than Scottie.

Weirdly, having a shortcoming (lack of a first step) and being able to overcome that shortcoming by other means is kind of a blessing in disguise.

For example, If Barnes had the burst of Kuminga, would he have felt the need to work on his shooting as much as he has if he could just blow by anyone and get to the rim at will?

Obviously burst plus shooting is the best combination, but that's super rare, especially in a 6"8-6"9 body.

The first step is probably the most worrisome offensive weapon because of how it can decline, handles are the best though.

Luka definitely does not have a great first step, he's just very smart, good size and has a very good handle.

John Wall on the other hand relied on speed to score, and didn't become more than that as a scorer.

Luka does have a great first step but it’s mainly due to how incredible his ability to stop and go is. It’s not conventional athleticism but it’s something maybe 1% of the nba has. Add that with strength and touch and you get Luka lol.

Scottie’s bread and butter will be his handles, strength and jump shot.

With Luka I feel that's more guile with his handle than pure blow by. (unpredictability)

As for Barnes, I wonder if he can incorporate Tatum's side step 3 into his game down the line.

[Purple+Black]

I honestly don't think it's Barnes driving that's going to be his biggest strengths.

He just doesn't have the first step for it.

It's his combination of strength and shooting (ironically) that's what's going to make him an All Star, and I don't just mean from three point range.

Handle - Good, not All Star Level
Driving - Ok, not All Star Level
Passing - Very Good - Not All Star level (the Hali/LaMelo range)

Are you evaluating the effectiveness of his current skillset or the potential/ceiling he has in each regard?

Handle - I think he has an underrated handle which will be at an All-Star level by year 4-5 if you want to talk broadly. For his position, his handle is already at All-Star level.

Driving - I think this is definitely the next area he needs to tune, but you have to consider that his ability to bully defenders on his drives is something that I haven’t seen at that level since Lebron & Giannis. The rest needs to be tuned and does have the potential to be tuned, at his weight I don’t know if that first step will ever get to a superstar level though.

Shooting - if he keeps playing like this, the man will become one of the best 3 level scorers in the league by his prime

Post-Up Game / Touch Around The Basket - another skillset that sets him apart from the crowd

One final thing that I want to add is that his feel for the game is otherworldly at times. It legit gives me shades of Kyle - which when you consider Scottie’s other gifts and size, is something insane to even think about. Is there a player like that even in the league currently?

He’s a very different player and I’m just excited to see what he becomes. Enjoy the ride, everyone

[HKBOY]

I honestly don't think it's Barnes driving that's going to be his biggest strengths.

He just doesn't have the first step for it.

It's his combination of strength and shooting (ironically) that's what's going to make him an All Star, and I don't just mean from three point range.

Handle - Good, not All Star Level
Driving - Ok, not All Star Level
Passing - Very Good - Not All Star level (the Hali/LaMelo range)

Are you evaluating the effectiveness of his current skillset or the potential/ceiling he has in each regard?

Handle - I think he has an underrated handle which will be at an All-Star level by year 4-5 if you want to talk broadly. For his position, his handle is already at All-Star level.

Driving - I think this is definitely the next area he needs to tune, but you have to consider that his ability to bully defenders on his drives is something that I haven’t seen at that level since Lebron & Giannis. The rest needs to be tuned and does have the potential to be tuned, at his weight I don’t know if that first step will ever get to a superstar level though.

Shooting - if he keeps playing like this, the man will become one of the best 3 level scorers in the league by his prime

Post-Up Game / Touch Around The Basket - another skillset that sets him apart from the crowd

One final thing that I want to add is that his feel for the game is otherworldly at times. It legit gives me shades of Kyle - which when you consider Scottie’s other gifts and size, is something insane to even think about. Is there a player like that even in the league currently?

He’s a very different player and I’m just excited to see what he becomes. Enjoy the ride, everyone

Sounds like a poorman LBJ to me.

[hype_2004]

Yeah, im confused that he said driving. Maybe he means transition ?

Even Siakam on a down year is still driving more than Scottie.

Weirdly, having a shortcoming (lack of a first step) and being able to overcome that shortcoming by other means is kind of a blessing in disguise.

For example, If Barnes had the burst of Kuminga, would he have felt the need to work on his shooting as much as he has if he could just blow by anyone and get to the rim at will?

Obviously burst plus shooting is the best combination, but that's super rare, especially in a 6"8-6"9 body.

The first step is probably the most worrisome offensive weapon because of how it can decline, handles are the best though.

Luka definitely does not have a great first step, he's just very smart, good size and has a very good handle.

John Wall on the other hand relied on speed to score, and didn't become more than that as a scorer.

Luka does have a great first step but it’s mainly due to how incredible his ability to stop and go is. It’s not conventional athleticism but it’s something maybe 1% of the nba has. Add that with strength and touch and you get Luka lol.

Scottie’s bread and butter will be his handles, strength and jump shot.

What separates great players from other skilled players is size and strength. LeBron is 260 lbs, Zion 285, Jokic 280, Luka 240, Giannis 245, Kawhi 240 lbs and Scottie is 240+. Strength coupled with athleticism and skill is what separates the men from the boys.

[hype_2004]

I honestly don't think it's Barnes driving that's going to be his biggest strengths.

He just doesn't have the first step for it.

It's his combination of strength and shooting (ironically) that's what's going to make him an All Star, and I don't just mean from three point range.

Handle - Good, not All Star Level
Driving - Ok, not All Star Level
Passing - Very Good - Not All Star level (the Hali/LaMelo range)

Are you evaluating the effectiveness of his current skillset or the potential/ceiling he has in each regard?

Handle - I think he has an underrated handle which will be at an All-Star level by year 4-5 if you want to talk broadly. For his position, his handle is already at All-Star level.

Driving - I think this is definitely the next area he needs to tune, but you have to consider that his ability to bully defenders on his drives is something that I haven’t seen at that level since Lebron & Giannis. The rest needs to be tuned and does have the potential to be tuned, at his weight I don’t know if that first step will ever get to a superstar level though.

Shooting - if he keeps playing like this, the man will become one of the best 3 level scorers in the league by his prime

Post-Up Game / Touch Around The Basket - another skillset that sets him apart from the crowd

One final thing that I want to add is that his feel for the game is otherworldly at times. It legit gives me shades of Kyle - which when you consider Scottie’s other gifts and size, is something insane to even think about. Is there a player like that even in the league currently?

He’s a very different player and I’m just excited to see what he becomes. Enjoy the ride, everyone

Sounds like a poorman LBJ to me.

Scottie is stronger than 99% of the guards and forwards he's matched up he's against. He doesn't even fully know how strong he really is and we should exploit this area of his game more often on the low block, he easily back his guy down and powers over them.

[Tha Cynic]

Scottie is an absolute force when he drives and putting him in position to be the screener then either roll, take the open midrange shot, step back for the three or make the next pass is ideal because he reads the floor so well and he has the ability to do so many things. Lineups with Scottie as the small ball 5 have more often than not been very effective in large part because of his decision making and versatility.

This is why I think Darko is going to be a good coach for us with more time. He's generally saying all of the right things, but he just hasn't come up with a plan for how to execute it all yet and he/the team is still learning on the fly. He does crap like playing the bench together (or Scottie + 4 reserves) and sticking with a rigid substitution pattern (which always takes Scottie out very early in Q1/Q3 regardless of how he's playing or matchups on the floor), but he's doing more good than bad for the future of the franchise and it's clear he has goals in mind. I just don't agree with some of them (like starting Schroder and giving him the green light lol).

Scottie has been our best player to start the year for sure. His improvement is evident. Darko is trying to figure out this roster still so I can understand his focus is more on that. Scottie is coming along, I dont think we can ask for more based on the roster construction.

In fact, I think Darko is trying to get everyone else to figure things out and Scottie is more left on his own to figure himself out. Nurse used to plug in Scottie wherever he could to reduce the roster mess, which is why you saw him play a ton of role player roles.

This year Darko can see that the rest of the team just really sucks and they have too many players they need to get going, so they're not really featuring Barnes as much as they should. I personally think Barnes will get others going if you simply just have him increase his usage closer to 30% and let him consistently run this team.

But, we'll let this play out and see how long it takes with such low IQ players on the team. At least the starting lineup looks okay at times, even if they do all look a tier or more below Barnes in how they process the game.

[Chandan]

Scottie was amazing at the end of the third. He was single handedly spoon feeding guys with wide open looks for like 5 consecutive possessions, too bad they didn't make a single one in that span.

[Kingsway_fan]

If scottie had shooters around him, he would lead the league in Assists. MASAI NEEDS to do something about the poor shooters on this roster.

[TheAlchemist23]

He's been taking a backseat for the past half dozen games, he needs to get back to being the alpha