Scottie Barnes: 2021 Scouting Report

Bio and Measurables:

Strengths: As a prospect, Barnes separates himself from the rest of the draft class through his physical attributes. Standing at 6-8 (with shoes on) with a 7-3 wingspan Barnes is physically gifted beyond the majority of the field and it should only benefit him as he develops that, “he has what you can’t teach”. His size and wingspan will allow him to compete at the NBA level even if his body isn’t fully developed. Unlike smaller players that still need to fill out, like Evan Mobley, Barnes is ready made to compete while continuing to add strength. On the offensive end, Barnes length allows him to finish around the rim, through traffic and with contact around the basket. While he has shown that he can convert from the low block and in the dunker position when running a half court offense, he has also showcased his basketball IQ as the primary ball handler.  When he was the focal point of the offense, Barnes has shown that he has a quicker first step than most would anticipate and understands how to position his body on the drive to mitigate turnovers when defenses slap down for the basketball. Having the awareness to eliminate live ball turnovers and force defenses to defend will help Barnes earn minutes at the next level as the rest of his offensive game develops. In regards to floor spacing, Barnes only shot 27.5% from behind the three point line this season however 81.8% of those shots were assisted. These numbers show that while he is a work in progress from outside of 8ft his willingness to take them and make them on the catch can become a strength at the next level. One final strength of Barnes offensive game is his ability as a passer. While he may not be the featured point-forward in the NBA his playmaking ability and court vision will help him earn minutes. He can be a break starter at the next level similar to his impact in college. Moving the ball from one end of the floor to the other almost instantly, Barnes will be able to do it on his own or through finding teammates on the break. As he grows his passing should grow with him, especially if he finds himself getting caught near the basket unable to create a high percentage shot for himself. Defensively Barnes, leaning on his physical attributes, has the ability to become the best defender in this draft class. His size and lateral quickness allow him to be an extremely disruptive defender with the potential to guard positions one through four along with some small ball fives. He keeps opposing ball handlers in front of him and is truly a disrupter when contesting jumpshots (opponents shot 32.7%). With his high motor it feels like he never takes a possession off and while the next level will be a challenge guarding smaller players, his ability to smother the ball at the point of attack should be highly regarded by teams drafting at the top of the draft. When he is not playing the point of attack he has shown active hands in the passing lanes, averaging 1.5 steals a game this season. Barnes primary defensive work comes on the perimeter and he isn’t a “premier shot blocker” by any stretch but his inability to take a possession off still allowed him to produce 0.5 BPG. Finally, in a team aspect Barnes benefitted from Leonard Hamilton’s structure at FSU as everything was about the team. Through his only season as a Seminole he flashed his ability as one of the best help/team defenders in the draft class. With solid potential and physical gifts to match Barnes strengths are truly driving his draft position. 

Areas of Improvement: Barnes, as a defender, has found a solid foundation to develop his game at the next level. Yet, the question marks and areas of improvement begin to rise when looking at his current offensive game. Starting from the outside in, as a three point shooter he has to find a way to become more productive from behind the three point line. First and foremost he has to become a more consistent shooter. Playing 24 games this season Barnes did not convert or did not attempt a three in 15 of them. As we highlighted his willingness to shoot the ball is encouraging but he has to make it a reliable aspect of his offensive game at the next level. In a majority of offensive systems, assuming he is slotted in as the forward, he will find himself spacing the floor behind the three point arc. If he is unreliable on the offensive end he could be relegated to a situational player and slow his offensive development. The mid-range game is the same story as his success behind the three point line, minimal. Even though the league is moving away from the midrange game as a whole, being able to stop expand your game outside of the drive and low block will help keep the defense honest and allow your teammates to flow in the offensive set. As we have seen, players and even stars who are unable to knock down an outside shot consistently allow defenses to relax in the half-court and make it harder on the other four offensive players. While Barnes will probably never be a player who is going to be able to create his own shot from an array of dribble moves and stepbacks he should be able to keep a defense focused on guarding all five players on the floor. In college his size and athleticism allowed him to take shots that may make NBA coaches scratch their heads but these poor shots should be filtered out during his rookie season as he adjusts to his new team. 

External Factors: Scottie Barnes decided to stay close to home and play for the “new blood” Florida State. While the team is a unit by committee, Barnes was able to get solid experience predominantly off the bench while his family could see him play. 

Medical History: Barnes turned his ankle during a stretch games this season but fully recovered. Outside of this, he has had no public medical concerns. 

Summary: Scottie Barnes, like every other player that has come through Florida State, played within the system during his freshman year. The homegrown Barnes only started 7 of the 24 games he played and was primarily featured off the bench. However, this is no indication of the ceiling and skillset Barnes possesses similar to FSU alumni Patrick Williams. Barnes, like Williams, will not know his role until he is selected on draft night because of the system they played at Florida State. A player who was a highly touted recruit coming primarily off the bench and then being selected in the lottery seems to only happen to Seminoles yet, it shouldn’t deter teams from drafting him. Physically and defensively it feels like Barnes is already at a serviceable NBA level with an extremely high ceiling to go along with it. As he grows and develops in the NBA system he should immediately earn minutes because of his defense. Even though he is an offensive work in progress teams should be excited to work with him because of the potential a consistent offensive game unlocks. If he is able to continue to improve from mid-range and the three point arc he will have no problem finding minutes and becoming one of the main drivers on the team that selects him. Due to his physical attributes, defensive ability and offensive potential. I am extremely high on Scottie Barnes at the next level. I believe that he has the ability to become a future all-star but is getting the Patrick Williams treatment because he primarily came off the bench for FSU this year. The difference between Williams and Barnes though is that Barnes, in my opinion, is not only a better prospect but currently a better player than Williams was this time last year. Don’t be surprised if Barnes ends up going in the top 5. If he falls though, like Tyrese Haliburton, teams will kick themselves for not jumping on him when they had the chance. 

MIP Projection: #6 Oklahoma City Thunder