The 2021 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Scottie Barnes 2021 NBA Draft Profile.
Scottie Barnes Background
Position:Â Guard/Forward
Size:Â 6-foot-9, 227 pounds
School:Â Florida State
Class:Â Freshman
2021 stats: 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.5 blocks per game, 1.5 steals per game, 50.3% FG, 27.5% 3PT, 62.1% FT
Barnes is one of the more unique players in the 2021 NBA Draft class. After being a very tall point guard for Florida State for one season, Barnes will try to take that skillset to the NBA level.
In the 2020 recruiting class, Barnes was a highly-touted five-star recruit. He chose to go to Florida State over Oregon, Ohio State and Florida. The Seminoles routinely use their bench and start veteran players, so Barnes only started seven of 24 games for the team. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists, showing off his versatility along the way. Barnes’ play helped the Seminoles reach the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament before they lost to Michigan.
Barnes will hope to follow in the footsteps of other recent Florida State players who were early draft picks. He is currently projected to be a top 10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Strengths
Barnes has great height and length at 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds. He also has long arms for his size, which gives him a distinct advantage on the perimeter, where he is usually matched up with a much shorter opponent. His size, paired with his impressive body control makes him a mismatch. At Florida State, Barnes played point guard. If he plays that in the pros, he will be one of the biggest point guards in the league. His size allowed him to get to the basket and finish over smaller defenders, but his length helped him guard on the perimeter well, as he posted 1.5 assists per game.
He was able to display his ability as a passer at Florida State, even though he had never played the position before. Barnes averaged 4.1 assists per game in just 24 minutes played per game. He can drive and kick out to open teammates for 3-pointers, make crazy passes in transition, find open people in the post and read the pick and roll very well. Whether he is seen as a point guard in the NBA or not, Barnes has shown the ability to make his teammates better.
On offense, Barnes is great around the basket His size makes him a mismatch problem. He has solid body control, which helps him drive to the basket and finish. Smaller defenders are unable to contest his shots when he is driving because of his size and length. In addition to driving and finishing, Florida State also used Barnes in the post, as he used his height advantage well to be productive.
Weaknesses
Barnes will need to continue to work on his shooting. He was a streaky shooter in college and shot just 27.5 percent from deep. Right now Barnes is a player that can just beat teams when he is near the basket, but if he keeps on working on his jump shot, he can be a much more lethal offensive player.
Because of his skillset and size, Barnes will get fouled by smaller defenders. When he is fouled he needs to make sure to make other teams pay. He shot just over 60 percent from the free throw line at Florida State. Barnes needs to raise that percentage by at least 10 points to make teams not want to foul him when he goes to the basket.
His body control is impressive, but he isn’t an elite athlete. He lacks a quick first step and beats his man with his size most of the time. Barnes also won’t be throwing down too many highlight-reel dunks, but he does finish well at the basket. His foot speed and leaping ability hold him back from being an elite athlete in this draft class.
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