ESPN released the second part of their NBA Rank list, revealing the top player rankings from 50-11.
ESPN ranked Immanuel Quickley No. 64 and RJ Barrett No. 53 in the first part of their list.
As for Toronto Raptors’ All-Star Scottie Barnes he comes in ranked No. 35:
“In his third season, Barnes went from an intriguing young player to a deserving All-Star, averaging career highs in points (19.9), rebounds (8.2), assists (6.1), steals (1.3) and blocks (1.5) per game. The only other player to average at least 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block per game last season? Giannis Antetokounmpo Toronto has bet on Barnes being the face of its next contending team, giving him a max contract extension in July. And the franchise moved on from veterans OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam in back-to-back moves before last season’s trade deadline, bringing back Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and several draft picks to pair with Barnes over the next few years. Now, Toronto will be hoping Barnes can make another leap into All-NBA territory.”
The stage is set for Barnes to have another big season. The 23-year-old is the cornerstone of the Raptors franchise and will lead them during this rebuild.
Barnes had a career-year last season before suffering a season-ending surgery on March 1. Now he’s back and looks fully healthy. He’s coming off a near triple-double performance against the Boston Celtics in the preseason, which could be a sign of things to come. Barnes is the engine of this Raptors team and they will go as far as he takes them.
This ranking might seem low for Barnes, considering there are players ranked ahead of him who he’s arguably better than in Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero who he’s constantly compared to. This may be the season where Barnes blossoms into the top 25 players in the league category.
Raptors upset Celtics in preseason win
The Raptors beat the Boston Celtics 119-118 in their first game back at Scotiabank Arena.
The Raptors caught fire from three early as Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick got off to a blistering start. The Celtics did march a comeback, but the Raptors were able to hold on for the win thanks to a Branden Carlson game-winning block.
After losing their previous two preseason games, the Raptors showed a lot of positives in this victory.
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