There are a lot of great young players in the NBA today and Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes is one of them.
Barnes had a breakout season in his third year with the Raptors. He averaged 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.2 steals on 47.5 percent shooting from the field and 34.1 percent shooting from deep.
The Ringer ranked the top 25 players in the NBA age 25 and under.
Their top 10 included: T-10. Ja Morant, T-10. Zion Williamson, 9. Paolo Banchero, 8. Jalen Williams, 7. Chet Holmgren, 6. Tyrese Maxey, 5. Tyrese Haliburton, 4. Luka Doncic, 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2. Anthony Edwards, 1. Victor Wembanyama.
Just missing out on the top 10 was Barnes. He was ranked 13th behind Alperen Sengun. Barnes ranked ahead of the No. 1 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft Cade Cunningham, Trae Young and Evan Mobley.
Danny Chau of The Ringer explained why there’s a reason to be optimistic about Barnes’ future:
“Barnes, three years in, has traced the outline of a star with game-changing versatility: a playmaking hub who is also already an elite defensive playmaker from the help side. The only player in NBA history who’s had a comparable stat line to the one Barnes produced in 2023-24 is a 26-year-old Kevin Garnett. There is a fast-growing confidence in his perimeter game that gives him a shot at mutating into something different from the evolutionary Draymond Green he’s presented as thus far.”
He also outlined why there’s a reason to doubt the 22-year-old:
“While Barnes made a significant leap last season in terms of his scoring package, his deep-range accuracy has consistently tailed off in the latter portions of each season. It’s fair to wonder whether he lacks the flexibility and fluidity in his overall athleticism to truly excel as a primary shot creator on a bad team, let alone a great one.”
Given Barnes’ upside he could’ve ranked in the top 10. However, considering the amount of talent on this list, 13th is a fair ranking.
Scottie Barnes ranked 15th on ESPN’s list of best players under 25
Late last year ESPN tried to rank the 25 best players under 25-years-old.
They ranked Barnes 15th behind Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Evan Mobley.
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