#scottie-barnes

#scottie-barnes

Cooper Flagg looked every bit like the generational talent he was billed as, meanwhile Collin-Murray Boyles was uncharacteristically passive in his debut and struggled to get his usually magnetic mitts on the ball, finishing with zero points. Alternatively Flagg ripped transition slams and step-back 3s on his way to an efficient 22 points, helping the Mavericks down the Raptors 139-129, dropping them to 1-2 on the season.

Quickley's defence continues to show real improvement in transition, where his aggression forced a turnover early. Early in the first quarter, he stood his ground impressively when Jabari Smith Jr. tried to post him up, showcasing added strength and discipline. Offensively, however, it was a rough night - his trademark floater deserted him, missing a few he normally converts with ease. Quickley still hasn't quite found his rhythm on that end of the floor.

Scottie Barnes' development has not been linear. After winning Rookie of the Year, he didn't improve much in year two. Then, in year three, he made a leap, earning his first All-Star nod. Then, last year was another step back. His efficiency was down, the team was not good, and there wasn't much consistency. He didn't look like someone coming off the best season of their career.

In addition, outside of Jakob Poeltl, who has been dealing with back spasms as well as an illness, no starter has played fewer minutes than Barnes, as he has consistently seen less time in the three games he has played in. When he has been on the court, he has looked visibly less burst-y and athletic than fans have become accustomed to seeing. His struggles have led to plenty of conversation, even on this site, about his role and mindset:

He is unquestionably a very strong defender, and he maintained his energy and tenacity in a lost season where he was tasked with a lot of on-ball responsibilities on offense. He is an elite rebounder, providing extra possessions on the offensive glass and closing out possessions on the other side (73rd & 94th percentile). He's a talented at rim finisher, especially when he's able to attack off the catch rather than his own dribble.

Darko's been really helpful. Obviously, I have a lot of high-level guys around me, so finding my niche isn't always easy. But everybody knows defence is what's going to get me on the floor. Being aggressive, confident, on both ends - that's what I'm focused on. They drafted me to be me, so that's the mindset I'm sticking with.