25-under-25: Scottie Barnes is no longer just a fun idea

Watching Scottie Barnes in his first two NBA seasons felt like watching an experimental French film for the first time. You think you liked what you were seeing and were confident that you'd be satisfied in the end, but the route to that end was often perplexing and frustrating. But that's normal! It's to be expected! You knew what you were getting into! You just hoped the plot became clearer as Barnes gained experience.

It did. In his third season, Barnes was more like watching your favorite 80s action movie for the hundredth time. You know the plot, you know what's coming, you know how you'll reach the cathartic ending, and you're going to have a blast each step of the way. And unlike that movie, which probably has some problematic dialogue and weird early-stage CGI, Barnes still has the ability to mold some areas of his game that require improvement and become Toronto's long-term, two-way superstar.

The theoretical became the actual in 2023-24. In his first two seasons, Barnes had brilliant moments that captivated fans and promised a future star. Last season, he started to deliver on those promises; his creation ability, scoring consistency, and defensive impact all improved significantly. For the most part, Barnes looked comfortable as Toronto's leading man.

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Scottie Barnes' size helps him in pretty much every category

Barnes takes up a lot of space. Listed as 6-foot-7, 227 pounds, and with a wingspan of 7-foot-3, Barnes is an imposing figure. That length isn't just for show, either. Speaking of the aforementioned defensive improvements, Barnes averaged 2.8 "stocks" per game last season (a combination of steals and blocks.) His ability as a help defender is buoyed by his stunning wingspan, his strength helps him rebuff opposing ballhandlers who attempt a drive to the hoop, and his agility allows him to stay stride-for-stride with smaller guards. He is the dictionary definition of "versatile" on defense. There are maybe three NBA players who would be tasked with guarding both Karl-Anthony Towns and Steph Curry. Barnes is on that short list.

That potential to be an elite defender drew NBA scouts to Barnes in the first place, along with his creation ability, which also took a leap in 2023-24. From 3.5 assists in his rookie season, to 4.8 his sophomore year, to 6.1 in year three, Barnes continues to look more comfortable as a distributor. He ranked near the top of the NBA among forwards in numerous passing categories, including assist points created, where he ranked fifth among forwards behind just Luka, Giannis, LeBron, and Sabonis.

You can categorize passers in numerous ways, and Barnes transcends the category of "player who makes the right reads and can complete the passes that are available to him." Barnes, on occasion, looked like a player who can create opportunities with his passing. The type of player who doesn't just run his team's offense well, but enhances it with his vision and facilitation. You don't have to stretch your imagination far to envision a world where Scottie Barnes becomes the best passing forward in the NBA (as long as you don't actually count Luka as a forward.)

Though he can appear stiff at times, Barnes is becoming more capable of bending, twisting, and squeezing through awkward holes in a defense the more experience he gets. His endless arms allow him to plug up multiple passing lanes at once, and that length plus a near-elite vertical ability make him a threat to finish a play from places that few other players can. Shots that would be midrange attempts for other players turn into dunks for Barnes, and his speed — which will probably always be surprising for someone of his build — allows him to sort of glide toward the basket, confounding defenders who never seem sure of what to do with him, often deciding to just run parallel to him until Barnes dunks the ball.

Barnes isn't necessarily a "bucket-getter," and that might be fine. He averaged 19.9 points per game last season and posted six games of 30-plus points, so he can score in bunches on occasion, but Barnes' most intriguing skill is that he possesses seemingly all skills. His scoring will continue to develop, but him ever winning a scoring title likely isn't in the cards.

Toronto is ready to hand Barnes the keys to the franchise

Toronto's front office isn't trying to fool anyone into thinking this team will compete for an NBA title anytime soon. Team President Masai Ujiri didn't shy away from the term "rebuilding" at Raptors Media Day, and there will likely be just one player older than 25 in Toronto's starting lineup. Toronto wouldn't mind being bad bad this year — a Cooper Flagg / Scottie Barnes duo could break some brains.

This roster isn't barren of talent, though. Immanuel Quickley has been sublime in his (albeit short) stint with Toronto so far, Gradey Dick is poised for a huge leap in 2025, and RJ Barrett looks more comfortable north of the border than he ever did in New York. But don't get it twisted, this is Scottie Barnes' team, and the Raptors future rests on his shoulders.

So what can we expect from Scottie Barnes in the future? Will he reach a level of star where a tank is impossible? Probably — there's not really a ceiling on what Barnes can accomplish, and if you think there is, you might need to watch more Raptors basketball. But asking for Barnes to reach that level in 2024-25 seems unfair to Barnes, who will be playing for a franchise with little incentive to win right now. Still, even marginal improvements to the skills he's already proved very willing to improve will boost Barnes into a new tier of NBA player — a much more exclusive tier than he's existed in up to this point.

Scottie Barnes ranked No. 8 on FanSided's 2024-25 25-under-25, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.