Jalen Green, Raptors, Scotty Barnes discussed on Chad Ford's NBA Big Board
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I mean, didn't run over a pitcher. Didn't try to dunk it and get a potential charge. He just got the bucket. These are very good signs. You are right to point out his assist average in, I think there's 5.6 in the preseason. He's not being asked to do that as much in the NBA, nor should he be. He isn't really that player just yet. He's got to get much, much better as a ball handler in my opinion. If he's ever going to be an MVP level player. If he doesn't do that, he's just going to be an all star. And maybe in all league performer because he's a two way player. If you can develop handles the way all of our elite players like Hawaii and Durant at his size can dribble the ball when I always got a chance in every P level player because he's gonna win a ton of games. He's right now as net rating wrote it down it's plus 7. That doesn't sound like a ton, but trust me, Jalen green is -18. And of course he's not a different team. I get that. But that's not like the raptors have a big winning record or anything. He impacts wins because he plays the right way now. Just wait till a skill game explodes because I think it's going to. Does his role change in a significant way when siakam comes back. You know, this is the one question, right? Pascal siakam, who is there all star has been out with an injury, but he's going to be back. Probably sooner rather than later. What role, what happens to Scottie when siac comes back? Yeah, two things one he'll play less, which is good 'cause he is exhausted in the fourth quarters. I've noticed how tired he is late in games. He only averages like 20 something minutes, Florida state plays 11 guys. So he has not played this many minutes ever in high school. They were blowing everyone out with four or 5 NBA players whoever was on his team. He's tired, and he's playing both ways. It's not like he could take plays off against Jayson Tatum, right? There's lots of guys in the league that are very good players. Lamella ball and Anthony Edwards don't tend to guard the opponent's best offensive players. Scottie does. So he's a little fatigued. Siakam will be a welcome relief for that because he'll play a few less minutes of game. But I don't think they're gonna cut many minutes. And then in terms of on court role, not really because, again, this is where I think Nick nurse has done a great job. They could ask him to do everything, the way Jalen green, for example, is doing in Houston. I don't think that's the best thing for most players. It worked for Kevin Durant many years ago, even though it took a long time for his team to start doing better when he was on the court. I don't think it'd be working for Scott 'cause he's not that kind of shooter. So playing off other guys plays perfectly into what he can do best, which is dominate off the ball. That's the one thing if he can learn to dominate with the ball and then he's Magic Johnson. That's a big ask. I think he's got potential for that. I don't know if we'll ever get it. No one else ever has before. That's only one magic. But to learn to dominate off the ball and then pick your spots, draymond green is a great example of that, is fine for him early in his career. And so I think that siakam will be better. The raptors will win more. And I think scotti will have another primary guy along with Fred because OJ really isn't that player. So now they have those guys playing off of Pascal and Fred. And I think they'll be better than I think he'll be better because of in terms of metrics. You know, one really cool thing to end on Scotty Barnes is raptors fans freaked out. We were talking about it you and I, I was probably the only person that had Scotty Barnes mocked to the raptors for quite a long time because we just sort of knew about Masai and what sort of player Maasai really likes. And it was a tough decision between him and Jalen suggs suggs also brings a lot of the things that Masai likes and a player, you know, as well. But raptors, fans were despondent. And one of the cool things about doing it doing a sub stack and having this sort of collection of readers over at MBA big board dot com, you have the same thing over at tru hoop is these are more advanced fans. These are people that are really carefully watch the game. And so one of the things I love is, you know, in the comment section and then the emails I get. You know, you get a lot of fans that are really intelligent about the game. And many of them were very, very skeptical about Barnes, but so many of them have written to me and saying, you know, I want to be a skeptic, but every game I just fall more and more in love, love with this guy, and people that are non raptors fans saying the same thing. He's past the eye test around the league, same with general managers, same with scouts that we talk about. I absolutely think that after this part, he's been the biggest revelation in the NBA as just it's hard to take your eyes off Scotty Barnes and when you're watching him play and I couldn't be more bullish about him. I think he does absolutely not just have that all star ceiling, but that superstar I'm ceiling in him. You're right, there's a few things he needs to do. So let's pivot to Evan mobley, because if we were doing a rookie of the year race right now, it would be a tight race because Evan mobley has been dominant, especially on the defensive end. I mean, we talk about Scotty Barnes being able to guard 5 players, but actually what Evan mobley's impact defensively. If you look at some of the advanced numbers right now, I mean, he's been one of the best defenders in the NBA. Early on, the calves are shockingly winning basketball games that we didn't think so. He seems like the perfect fit. Calves are using him in the same way. He's guarding more, not necessarily one through 5, but three through 5 for sure, Eva mobley is guarding and his quickness his ability to both protect the rim, but guard on the perimeter. And then, you know, there's been some nice stuff on the offensive end as well, though he's maybe a little bit further behind there. What do you think about Eva mobile early on in his career? Man, I love him so much. I told our partner and founder to have our dear friend Henry Abbott. You know, well, we did a show, I think on Friday and where I said, I said, I think having me, I think I even wrote this where I'm starting to see the light at the end of this dark Cleveland Cavaliers tunnel. And it worked out great, and listen, I'm wrong all the time and I'll go into another details and things have been wrong about. But I didn't expect them to win at Denver in LA, but they did..