OKC Thunder: Shifts occur on Intentions week 4 rookie ladder

No. 2 – Scottie Barnes – Toronto Raptors

After three weeks sitting in the top spot, Scottie Barnes slides down one rung to second. Part of the reason was Mobley was simply outstanding in week four. Also factoring was his return from a thumb sprain that was clearly still nagging him, and the return of Pascal Siakam which took Barnes a few games to get used to.

Rookie category rankings:

• Points: 16.3 – first
• Rebounds: 8.3 – first
• Offensive rebounds: 2.8 – first
• Field Goals Made: 6.8 – first
• Field Goal Percent: 51.2% (first among the top group)
• Blocks: 0.6 – tied second
• Double-Doubles: two (second)
• Assists: 2.8 – fifth
• Steals: 0.9 – tied sixth

That it was only a few games speaks to his high I.Q. because it would’ve been more logical for it to take much longer (see Chris Duarte for example) given they both are bigs who handle the ball, score inside, plus offer defensive energy and goodies.

In fact, Nick Nurse has three players in Barnes, Siakam, and OG Anunoby who provide a similar skill set but it seems like that is the goal of the Raptors to put a bevy of 6’8 to 6’9 athletic phenoms on the court with superior defensive capabilities, all of whom can lead the break, run the offense and score.

The Raptors played three games in week four, losing to the Celtics and Pistons sandwiched between a win versus the 76ers.

Barnes averaged 15 points, 7.3 rebounds (including 2.7 on the offensive glass), 4.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the field.

What doesn’t get covered in most of these excerpts is the defensive assignments and it’s worth noting Barnes is drawing (or splitting) the toughest assignment with Anunoby. Like he did when facing Mobley, the Raptors rookie was on Cunningham the majority of the Pistons match and while Anunoby is a perennial candidate for All-Defense it was Barnes who did the better job on the top draft pick.

The Raptors have only just begun to figure out their chemistry because Siakam couldn’t practice with the team while he healed from the offseason shoulder surgery. On top of that Fred VanVleet, Chris Boucher, Khem Birch, and Precious Achiuwa have all missed games while Barnes was out for two and Yuta Watanabe hasn’t returned yet.

That’s literally their core other than Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. so while this team will suffer some ebbs and flows don’t sleep on them to be in the mix for the sixth seed as they gain familiarity.

Barnes still holds the most first placement on the rookie statistical categories with five and eight top-five placements.

An interesting side note on Scottie Barnes — since the NBA -ABA merger in the mid-70s he is only the fourth player (after 11 career games) to produce 180 plus points,  over 90 rebounds, more than 30 assists, and shoot 50 percent or better from the field.