The top quintet of the 2021 NBA Draft has been cemented on mock drafts and big boards the majority of the season. Yet, in the weeks leading up to draft night, two players are shaking up the order with Scottie Barnes the dark horse threatening to move into the top five. If no shifts occur Barnes will offer OKC Thunder VP Sam Presti a viable option to select with the sixth pick.
As Intentions noted in our prior profiles on Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Kuminga some of the teams who landed the top picks were open to veering away from the established mock draft quintet based on prospects who impressed them. The Raptors will select fourth was vocal about how much Barnes impressed them but mum on any commentary about Suggs.
With their strong development staff, they may already see the fixes needed to tweak his shooting mechanics, and perhaps that’s why they were so vocal.
Other top teams also cited their interest in the youngster and as the ESPN panel noted Barnes is the prospect gaining buzz especially after a strong combine showing:
"I do think scouts and executives are nitpicking Kuminga more than they should given his talent at a position every team needs. But if he were to indeed fall out of the top five, who could leapfrog Kuminga? As Jonathan Givony wrote after the combine, Scottie Barnes is the favorite. His shooting and scoring shortcomings won’t be for everyone, but his engaging personality, defensive versatility and playmaking at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan give him an incredibly high floor."
OKC Thunder draft prospect preview for Scottie Barnes:
Specifics:
- Height: 6’9″
- Weight: 225 pounds
- Wingspan: 7’3
- Position: Combo Forward
- Birthdate/Age: July 31, 2001 – 19 years
- College: Florida State, freshman
- Stat line: 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals
- Home Town: West Palm Beach, Florida
Box Score Statistics:
| Season | G | GS | MP | FGA | FG% | 2PA | 2P% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 24 | 7 | 24.8 | 8.1 | .503 | 6.5 | .561 | 1.7 | .275 | 2.8 | .621 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 10.3 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 7/11/2021.
Current Ranking:
Barnes was ranked 11th in the prior Ringer mock draft but leaps up to sixth in Kevin O’Connor’s recent update.
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- The Ringer: 6th
- NBA DraftNet: 6th
- ESPN: 6th
- CBS Sports: 7th
- NBA: 8th
- Bleacher Report: 6th
- FanSided The Step Back: 7th
With that let’s dive a little deeper into Barnes to determine his strengths and weaknesses.