Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was praised by basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who called Barnes a “mini Joker.”
Barnes led the Raptors back to the playoffs this year, as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers starting on Saturday in what is one of the most intriguing first-round playoff matchups.
Speaking on the KG Certified Podcast ahead of the NBA playoffs, the basketball legend Garnett had nothing but high praise for Barnes, comparing him to another great, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
“Listen, man, Scottie Barnes don’t get enough credit for what he does. He’s like a mini Joker. Scott Barnes does everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if he led Toronto in every category, real (explative). I wouldn’t be surprised for the next decade if he just run that, because that’s his, that’s his to have, bro. That Scottie Barnes, I want to see him take the game over, go guard the best players, switch everything, like man, he got an IQ, take it full court, you don’t stop him, you take it on your head, come back down and try to steal it,” Garnett said.
“I love young fella, man, he don’t get enough praise, man, he’s the north, man. He plays both ends, bro. Shoutout to Scottie Barnes, man. Shoutout to him and (Brandon) Ingram, man, and the Raps. I’m a fan of the Raptors. I like that young group, man. I like what they’re doing up there.”
Scottie Barnes Could be All-NBA This Year
Barnes had a terrific season for the Raptors as he led the team back to the playoffs for the first time in four years, when he was a rookie. The Raptors improved from just 30 wins last season to 46 wins this year, while securing the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference along the way. Barnes was also named to the All-Star team for the second time in his five-year career, as he played 80 games while averaging 18.1 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, 5.9 assists per game, 1.5 blocks per game, and 1.4 steals per game. When the NBA awards are revealed, Barnes has a good chance to be on the All-NBA First Defensive Team, as well as potentially making the All-NBA Third Team after having a terrific year for the Raptors, leading them back to the postseason.
Garnett is One of the NBA’s GOATS
Garnett is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He was drafted fifth overall out of high school in 1995 and went on to play 21 seasons in the NBA, with 14 of those years coming with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he won the NBA MVP award in 2003-2004. Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007 and went on to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award as well as the NBA Championship. Overall, he was a 15-time All-Star, 12-time All-Defensive player, nine-time All-NBA player, and he was voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 in his first year of eligibility, alongside fellow legends Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Scottie Barnes Praised by Kevin Garnett, Called ‘Mini Joker’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.