Scotty Barnes looks like Draymond Green and ‘he could be a lot better than me,’ says Green

Scotty Barnes looks like Draymond Green and ‘he could be a lot better than me,’ says Green

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SAN FRANCISCO — Like all good playmakers in the NBA, Scotty Barnes has become adept at recognizing traps.

When asked Friday morning if he ever wondered what it would be like to play with shooters like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Burns said, “I wouldn’t say it’s strange.” I don’t know what to answer.Are you trying to set me up?

“Yeah,” Malachi Flynn said close, confirming Burns’ belief.

Burns was right: there was no good way to answer that question. Who would ask such a silly question? It was nothing.) Instead, it was an attempt to acknowledge the different circumstances of young playmaking forward Barnes and veteran playmaking forward Draymond Green. , existence. The Warriors have two of the greatest shooters of all time in addition to him being two different people, and there are plenty of other threats that make Green’s lack of scoring prowess easier to accept, but the Raptors have it. there is not. All of that. Barnes doesn’t need to be averaging 20 points per game, but if like Green he was averaging 8 points, that would be very problematic. And Barnes had 24 points, while Green had only 5.

However, what sets both players apart is something else. Looking at the way Barnes and Green set up their teammates, we started to see commonalities: passing darts to the cutter, waiting for a good shooting teammate to slide behind the screen, dribbling into handoff situations. increase. Only three forwards or centers average less than 20 points and 4.5 assists per game: Domantas Sabonis (18.4, 7.3), Barnes (15.4, 4.9) and Green (8.0, 6.8).

Barnes, who added six rebounds, five assists and two blocks, said: “Of course, we see some similarities in our game. How he plays defense and brings that strength. is,” he said. “His vision of the floor that I could see. I think you can see some similarities, but we’re not the same.”

‘He could be a lot better than me,’ said Green athletic After the game. “I saw a tweet the other day that said ‘Scottie Barnes’ floor is Draymond Green.’

Unlike his Dynasty teammate Curry, Green hasn’t reshaped the league in his own image. No kid in gyms around the world is learning how to read split screen action. Also, not many kids are learning how to analyze every set out there so they can call them out on the defensive.

Even fewer seem to be able to do it all, and not particularly willing to shoot. that’s green. Sure, he benefited from playing with his two transcendental shooters, but they also benefited from having someone who understood what they were trying to do.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr said, “Draymond is very unique and there aren’t many players who can compare to him, but Barnes is a great player with versatility and playmaking.” The first thing you’ll notice is that he’s elite on defense.The second thing you’ll know is that he’s kind of a point forward.I think it’s a very apt comparison.”

“I love his game because it’s not based on sheer skill or willpower,” said Green. “It’s a mixture of everything. It’s a mixture of skill. It’s a mixture of will. It’s a mixture of smart. It’s a mixture of length and athleticism.”

There’s also a taciturn to the shoot the Raptors have been trying to coach him since he arrived in Toronto. He can’t afford to hand it over to the best shooter in the world. When he came down the court for an uncontested layup to start the game, he seemed to want to slow down to the crawl and give it to OG Anunoby for the basket. , Barnes reluctantly dunked. Burns had six shots in the first quarter and Green had his four shots in the game. Barnes said he had 15 shots on the night, but he’s the only time Green has reached that number all season.

Regardless, Barnes can throw all the passes he needs. It was Draymondesque who held the ball long enough for him to suck up enough defenders, allowing Precious Achiuwa to sneak up behind and grab Lop. He found the tiniest seam in his pass Pascal his bounce to Siakam in his fourth. His step back three early on the green, a shot he needed as the clock was about to run out, was beautiful but not mentally right.

Barnes’ defense isn’t as impactful as Green’s, but for a sophomore player, it’s odd if that’s the case. He conceded too many points on the perimeter, but now his length makes up for much of it. He made two early steals and erased two points for Curry in the third set. . Seeing how aggressively he reads the game, that should translate to more defensively over time.

Green has spent more than a decade figuring out how to make it work in the Warriors ecosystem. Barnes was just in his sophomore year, and even when it worked out, the fit was awkward. Too often, like San Francisco in the second half, the offense relies on isolation to stagnate. The Warriors assisted him 80% of the bucket and the Raptors assisted him 52%. That’s all you need to know about the differences between these teams. Perhaps sooner or later there will be change in the Raptors ecosystem.

Now, the Raptors won’t be the second-generation shooter, and Barnes will be Draymond 2.0. You wouldn’t want to limit him like that, anyway. That’s because Burns decides which skills need to be emphasized.

After the match, Green and Barnes exchanged long hugs.

“I told him, ‘I say this every time I see you, but I’m very impressed with your game.'” I’m a big fan of yours. I love watching you, I love watching you grow, and I will say it again the next time we meet.”

observation

• Anunoby suffered a left wrist sprain in the second quarter and landed hard after attempting to dunk onto Golden State’s Jamaican Green. Anunoby shot the resulting pair of free throws and was able to hit one, but the Raptors took a foul to put him out of the game. X-rays came back negative, but the Raptors said they plan to do further testing and evaluation on Saturday in Portland, where the Raptors will face the Trail Blazers. However, in the last 11 games, he recorded double-digit scores for the 10th game.

• Siakam had a tough night offensively, shooting 26-for-8, as can happen when Green spends a lot of time defending you. More concerning, he got lost in some screens in defense and seemed to stop his movement.

• Fred VanVleet was great. He scored 28 points and he recorded 10 assists. He played big, made up for Siakam’s struggles, and helped the Raptors stay there in the second half.

VanVleet moved past Jonas Valanciunas for eighth place in the Raptors’ all-time scoring list in the first quarter. For your information, he is more than 900 points behind his 7th place Morris Peterson.

• Nurse said before the game that the Raptors hope Darano Banton will be available to play in Phoenix on Monday. He was with the Raptors 905 for a stint and has since dealt with hip pointers. He hasn’t played for the Raptors since December 18.

• Joe Wieskamp returned to practice on Thursday, the final day of his second 10-day contract. The Raptors would have had to sign Wieskamp for the rest of the season to keep him, and they didn’t.

• The big screen in Chase Center should occupy a larger percentage of the arena than its counterpart at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. It’s a mammoth.

(Photo of Draymond Green denying Scotty Barnes’ shot during Friday’s game: D. Ross Cameron / USA Today)



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