Probably the first truly controversial pick I have had so far. I just love Scottie. He has the fire, and he obviously has fun playing basketball. Someone with his gifts could play just because he can, he plays because its so much fun. On top of that, he is elite at every aspect of the game (except one). His passing, defense, athleticism, finishing, and IQ will all translate instantly. He is basically a can't miss high level role player. If his shooting translates he is a legit super star kinda guy. It is the ultimate swing skill in this class.

Comparison: Draymond with POP

Ceiling: Ben Simmons if Ben Simmons gave a crap Floor: 2020 Draymond

Projected draft range: 5 through late lottery

Scottie Barnes is one of my favorite prospects in the draft. He has a point guard's skills in a forward''s body. He can pass and handle, rebound, and play and guard 1 through 5. Whether he becomes a three-point shooter will decide if he comes a lethal, two-way weapon. Barnes did show a much better release and was swishing shots at the combine while being quick and measuring well.

Height 6'8 Weight 225 lbs Wingspan 7'3 Offense

• Head up, sees the floor really well and gets the ball out of his hands when he needs to.

• Promising in transition as a playmaker and finisher.

• Plays at his own pace and assesses the floor.

• Playmaking potential is enough that we could be looking at a 6'8 lead guard.

• EXCITING ATHLETICISM, his two electric dunks and and-1's on Florida are a great showcase of that.

• Athletic enough in transition to go behind the back on a defender and launch in for a vicious two hand dunk.

• Post moves are beginning to progress.

• Shot is the biggest red flag right now is his 62% FT and 28% 3pt, but the mechanics look workable.

• Needs more rhythm and bounce in his shot.

Defense

• Elite length for closeouts and iso defense.

• 2.5 STL per 40, excellent hands for swiping.

• A glove who can guard anyone outside of maybe the largest of centers.

• Great hip fluidity and lateral movement. Huge defensive versatility.

• Active rebounder.

Swing Factors

• Perimeter Shooting - Without access to a better jump shot Barnes becomes a much less versatile threat on the offensive end, stifling his overall value.

• Scoring ability - At times I wonder will he consistently get 15-20 a night and how? Outside of excellent finishing and transition play a lot of his scoring remains a question.

Role

• A truly positionless playmaker who thrives as a defensive stud.

• LOW: Barnes struggles to find his perimeter shooting, he lacks assertiveness scoring, and he is kind of an awkward offensive presence until he finds his role. Defensively he doesn't matchup well with lead guards and can't handle most centers, but is still a very good defender overall. Barnes is a useful rotation piece who flirts with sixth man minutes due to versatility and size.

• HIGH: There is a newfound bounce and rhythm in his jump shot keeping defenses honest and allowing him to comfortably fit in as a playmaker and offensive presence. As these skills take mold he immediately locks down any given player on any given night quickly becoming one the premiere defenders in the league. Barnes contends for several defensive player of the year awards, competes in multiple all-star games and is one of the leagues top commodities.

Tier 4 Floor - secondary starter Bullseye - right at all star level Ceiling - All NBA and all defensive teams

OFFENSE

Pass - Grade: 93 Notes: Barnes is a truly elite passer and facilitator, and is a top 5 passer in the draft. Barnes, at 6'9, played back-up point guard for Florida State this season. Barnes passing arsenal and vision is astounding. He is an incredible transition passer, makes passes through tight windows, hits open shooters right in the shooting pocket, hits cutters in stride, orchestrates offense, throws lobs, full-court bounce passes, baseline darts to drifting shooters, and elite outlet passes. He can truly do it all as a passer, particularly in the open court but also very good in the half court. Barnes makes elite reads, and not only always hits the open guy but will create open shots for his teammates by reading the defense and directing traffic. Barnes does get a little over-ambitious as a passer at times, and will turn the ball over. However, these turnovers typically come from his creativity and he usually learns from his mistakes.

Dribble - Grade: 84 Notes: Barnes has a very good handle for a stocky 6'9 guy. He looks comfortable handling the ball in transition, and orchestrating the offense. He's not a guy that will put together dribble combinations and shift defenders, but he is not a guy that gets easily pressured. He takes massive, under control strides when bringing the ball up in transition and is great at avoiding defenders in simple yet effective ways. He doesn't have a bag, but is effective as a ball-handler and understands how and when he needs to utilize his handle. Barnes will add some spice to his open court handle every now and again, with behind the back and crossover moves.

3pt shooting - Grade: 66 Notes: Barnes shot 29.7% from three on 37 attempts, or 1.7 attempts per game. Shooting is without a doubt his biggest flaw, and shooting is the swing trait for all prospects that aren't bigs (even though that is rapidly changing). Barnes shot mechanics are not bad, and I don't think he is the type of player who will have to be benched at the end of games due to his lack of shooting ability. His shot is slow, but it looks relatively natural. Barnes is hesitant to shoot them, but knows when to let it fly. He does not look comfortable shooting. Not all hope is lost for Barnes as a shooter. If Barnes can get to 35% from the corners and 68% from the line (61% from the line this season), he should be an all star.

Mid-range shooting - Grade: 60 Notes: This is not a part of Barnes' game. Occasionally he will face-up and attempt a short mid-range bank shot, but he just typically does not shoot for too far outside the paint.

Finishing - Grade: 90 Notes: Barnes is a very strong finisher with great touch around the rim. Barnes thrives a transition finisher, taking massive strides at a quick pace and taking just one or dribbles once getting passed half-court before getting into his gather. Barnes can finish with aggression or finesse. Barnes is great at avoiding defenders on his way to the hoop. Barnes thrives at finishing over smaller players. Barnes has a knack for keeping the ball in just one hand as he attacks, and keep it high out of reach. Barnes has a decent, but not advanced post game. Barnes is great at finishing through contact, and he is good at putting himself in position to score with and without the ball around the rim. Barnes length and above-average elevation allows him to be a very high-level dunker. Barnes utilizes euro-steps and other crafty forms of footwork to free himself, and he makes it look easy. Barnes footwork is a big part of why he's such a good finisher, his timing on his steps is just elite.

Off-ball playmaking - Grade: 82 Notes: Barnes is active off-ball. He's a smart and hard cutter, good screener, and is creative at freeing up his teammates using under the radar bumps and shoves. The key issue with Barnes off-ball is that he cannot space the floor, and even though he is effective in the dunker spot he rarely gets the opportunity to play there. Barnes is also an opportunistic and aggressive offensive rebounder when he crashes.

Offensive Summary: 84 Barnes' offensive abilities are criminally underrated because he is isn't a good shooter. Barnes is truly special in all facets of transition. He's quick with the ball but under control, a creative and accurate passer, long strides, elite footwork and finishing ability, and always makes the right play. Barnes is truly a 1 man fast break. Today's NBA is the ideal environment for Barnes. Wings sprint to the corners, bigs sprint to the rim, and there are so many more transition opportunities with way more high-level and available passing targets. Scottie Barnes is a flat-out hooper who knows how to play the game at a very high level, and he's got an edge to him. The only flaw Barnes has on offense is he can't really shoot, but he was still able to score 10 ppg and 23 points per-100 possessions in an environment that did not maximize his skillset. The only worry about Barnes is how effective he can be off the ball in the half court, and if teams will be able to sag off him. The fear of him being played off the floor in big playoff games when their is much more slow, half court play is years away from being a reality and a silly reason to pass on Barnes with everything else he brings to the table. Barnes is a top 5 transition player and passer who does a bit of everything, and his defense is way better than his offense.

Defense

Engagement - Grade: 99 Notes: Barnes relishes the defensive side of the floor. He may be the most engaged defender in the draft. His motor is one of the best if not the best in the draft, and it is relentless. He is a guy you love to have on your team and hate to play against.

Containment - Grade: 96 Notes: Barnes regularly checked opposing point guards on defense. Not off of switches, but as his primary assignment. Yes, a stocky 6'9 forward was able to not only guard, but harass opposing guards. Barnes has quick feet and moves very well laterally, but he is just so elite at positioning himself and beating guys to the spot. His core strength is elite and loves bodying up slashing. It looks like guards are running into a wall when the go into him, and he's so long and agile that they can't go around him. Very rarely will you ever see Barnes get beat off the dribble, a POA defender at his level is extremely rare.

Team Defense - Grade: 98 Notes: Barnes is a defensive leader. He's very vocal, always directing traffic. His IQ is very high, and he's great at anticipating. Barnes is a menace in the passing lanes, and is great at making himself big in the gap. Barnes can also rotate and play high level help defense down low, and has great timing on his rotations. Barnes is always active and always seems to be in the right spot

Rim Protection - Grade: 93 Notes: Barnes can guard bigs too. Barnes is great at guarding bigs in the post, and making them uncomfortable. Barnes is great at rotating to help on slashers and staying vertical when meeting them at the rim. His 7'2 wingspan allows him to pin shots on the backboard from behind. It also allows him to alter and block shots when it seems like he's out of the picture. His timing, IQ, and length make him a great rim protector for his position.

Playmaking - Grade: 90 Notes: Barnes is not a big time gambler, but he's got great hands and has a knack for plucking guards and wings who are in the midst of drives or dribble combinations. Barnes has a great stock and deflection rate, as he's always so active on and off ball and has his head on a swivel.

Versatility - Grade: 99 Notes: Barnes is the only player in the draft who can truly guard 1 through 5. He is the switchable antidote to any offensive onslaught, the type of switchable player that every team dreams of having. He can guard the opposing team's best wing scorer, the opposing team's center if they are abusing high PnR, and the opposing team's point guard if he's having his way with getting into the lane and orchestrating from there. He is as versatile of a defender as they come, and he's got limitless possibilities on the defensive end.

Defensive Rebounding - Grade: 85 Notes: Barnes did not crash as much as you would think, but that had to do with how often he was tasked with guarding perimeter players. Between Barnes elite motor, length, and strength Barnes projects to be a high level rebounder at the next level.

Defensive Summary: 98 Notes: Barnes has a very good to be the best defensive player in the draft, with DPOY potential. His versatility and motor make his possibilities on the defensive side of the ball limitless. Barnes not only has the tools, but he has the IQ and edge to be a great defender. Barnes genuinely loves playing defense, and takes great pride in it. These attributes are quite rare, especially for a guy with his tools. Barnes is going to be a massive defensive luxury to whatever team he lands, and his defense alone should give him a 10+ year career in the league as long as he can consistently play at a high level and retain or improve his lateral mobility. He is truly a terror on the defensive side of the ball. His combination of motor, IQ, length, strength, and lateral mobility at such a young age have never really been seen before.

Measurables: 93 19 6'8.5 230 7'3 wingspan 9'0 standing reach

Functional Athleticism: 85 Very good open court quickness for his size Very good lateral mobility Very good core/body up strength Very good vertical (36' standing) Second fastest shuttle run in combine

General Thoughts: Scottie Barnes is one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. Barnes measured very well at the combine: 6'9, 227 lbs, 7'3 wingspan, 36' standing vertical, and 2nd fastest shuttle run. Barnes is very good at so many different things that you have to at least respect him as a top 10 talent, but with that being said it's tough to pull the trigger on a guy who can't and may never be able to space the floor in the half court. Barnes shot just 27% from three on 1.7 attempts per game, and just 62% from the free throw line. Barnes does have a solid looking jumper though, and it isn't crazy slow or awkward so there is still hope for Barnes to become a competent shooter. I don't think he's in the Giannis/Simmons/Draymond/Rondo tier of just being able to totally ignore him on the perimeter. Barnes also started just 7 out of Florida State's 24 games this season. Despite all of this, Barnes is still a top 5 ranked prospect for me because he is so good at everything else. Barnes stands at 6'9 224, and is a great athlete. On offense, Barnes does not play like a 6'9 guy. Barnes most unique trait is his passing ability. Barnes not only has great vision and is a very accurate passer in all facets, but he also initiates offense regularly. Barnes vision stands out most in transition, where he often throws perfectly placed lobs and will throw perfectly timed no look passes to the dunker for an easy 2. Barnes had a 31% AST rate and a 23% usage rate, which is crazy for a guy who comes off the bench and is his size. Barnes averaged 4 assists per game in 24 MPG, which is very impressive at the college level. Barnes also sported a 2:1 AST:TO ratio, which is better than a lot of point guards in college basketball can say. Barnes is also great at kicking it out to open shooters off of dribble penetration, and he's great at "piercing the dome" when bringing the ball up the floor particularly in transition. Barnes not only makes extremely advanced reads, but actually creates open looks for himself and others. Barnes is also a great scorer in transition. Barnes pushes the ball up the floor quickly, and does it in very few strides. When Barnes gets to the rim he attack aggressively and doesn't shy away from contact. Due to his lack of ability to space the floor, Barnes struggles a bit to find his use in the half court. Barnes is a high IQ guy, so he's a good cutter and screener, but his presence can clog the line the lane at times. He's at his best in the half court when initiating offense, but at the same time he's not a point yet where he can be truly effective as a PnR ball handler. Defensively, Barnes is yet another monster wing defender in this draft. Barnes can truly guard 1 through 5, the only player in the draft who can truly say this. Barnes guarded opposing point guard as his assigned matchup often in college, which is crazy. What else separates Barnes from some of the other versatile, sizable wing defenders in this draft is how good of an off ball and transition defender he is. Barnes has a serious knack for playing the passing lanes, getting deflections, and stopping 2 on 1 fast breaks. Barnes also had a crazy amount of LeBron-esque chase down blocks this season. Barnes covers a crazy amount of ground and is always in the right place. He's great at making offensive players hesitate and second guess themselves, he's constantly taking away easy reads from the opposition. On the ball Barnes is incredibly active and has a lethal closeout. He's great at closing out quickly to contest threes, and then recovering with his hand over the ball and bodying up drivers with chest as they attack. Barnes has some elite level rotations in the paint and on the perimeter. At Florida State he got to play a lot of free safety, and I wouldn't be surprised if whatever team selects him does not use him as a glue guy but more as a free safety. I think Barnes passing will thrive even more in the league as the rim runners are better and there is so much more spacing and transition opportunities, but I think his defense may be a bit less effective to start out because it is incredibly difficult to not get punished for over helping in this day and age. Barnes is such a high IQ that I expect him to adjust and thrive in the NBA sooner rather than later, and I expect him to have a very long career to be a winning player right out of the gate. I'd bet on him being a secondary playmaker off of the bench upon entering the league, but that he will earn more minutes and opportunity quickly. Which ever team is lucky enough to add Barnes will receive an immediate boost to their ball movement and team defense. I like Barnes' fit with GSW at 7 or SAC at 9, but would be surprised if he wasn't selected by OKC at 6, an environment in which he could have a high usage rate right out of the gate. I think Barnes has legitimate all star potential and all NBA potential, but would bet on him hovering around or being at all star level during his peak years and be in the conversation for the all defense teams or even DPOY. Barnes will be very useful on a competing team, he's the type of player that could make a first second/second round team a conference finals/finals team once he's in his prime. His defensive versatility, playmaking ability, finishing, IQ, and motor make him an elite prospect who could be a top player in the league if he ever gets a consistent jumper.

Strengths

• Length

• Strong

• Versatility

• Defence

• Good passer for his position

Weak Areas

• Shooting

• Limited shot creation

• Lower ceiling

Player Comp: Draymond Green/Justice Winslow/Stanley Johnson

Comparison: Draymond Green, Ben Simmons

Your team needs Scottie Barnes with his strong defense and over-sized playmaking. He also led in assist percentage (31.6 %) and averages 3 steals a game.

Draymond type exactly-Good defender,passer,leader,rebounder, and has potential to be a good shooter

Peak stats- 14 PPG-7 RPG 7APG

Scottie Barnes has shown to be a good playmaker, and also a good defender. At best he should be a Draymond Green type player, and at worse then Stanley Johnson, although I suspect he will be in the muddle.

Floor: Stanley Johnson

Ceiling: Draymond Green

Draft range: 4-8

Positives

-An ELITE defensive prospect, routinely guarded and picked up opposing point guards full court, played passing lanes really well, very aware team defender, made the right rotations and communicated, pretty good at avoiding fouling and just using his length, at 6''9 with a long wingspan, has the potential to guard 1-4 in the NBA, potential to guard some centers as well

-A really good athlete, long strides paired with his frame makes him really tough to stop when gets downhill

-Transition offense is where he should thrive early on, overpowered opponents with length by getting to the rim, a great passer as well, unselfish at pushing the ball up the floor, often made great outlet passes

-In the halfcourt, best as a scorer when he turns the corner off a ball screen, solid finisher at the rim, can do it through contact, could be really good with the right spacing

-High playmaking potential, was used as a point forward in the FSU offense, made great high IQ reads, was good in the PnR, especially with crosscourt passes, though will need to improve as a scorer for it to translate, having the right players around him will be vital for him to reach his potential in the league

-An extremely energetic, competitive, high motor player, his energy on the court is unmatched, can really lift the team up

Negatives

-A bad outside shooter, his rythm and mechanics need work, shot only 62% from the FT line, especially bad off the dribble, this will be a huge swing factor for him, proving he can be at least a respectable shooter will open up a lot of his game

-Struggles significantly as a scorer in the halfcourt, not a shot creator right now, struggles if he can''t get to the rim, floater was very off, picked up some turnovers and charges by forcing it to the rim or getting caught in no man''s land

-Still room to grow as a decision maker, being more under control when getting into the paint should be the focus

-Needs to improve his effort as a rebounder, had plays where he just stood and watch instead of going for it, needs to be more disciplined with box-outs instead of outjumping the offensive player

-Has a tendency to rely a bit too much on his length defensively, can be a bit straight-legged, this should improve, doesn't take away from his defensive potential

Likely range: 5-10