Scottie Barnes impresses in Raptors’ preseason debut

When the Toronto Raptors surprised the basketball world by selecting forward Scottie Barnes with the fourth overall pick, many of those around the game still felt like it would be a worthwhile decision for Toronto in the long-term.

His ceiling as a player is very, very high, but in his present form, he is considered to be a work in progress that won’t enjoy immediate success in the league. But not so fast!

An offseason working alongside a franchise that is known for being amongst the best at player development appears to have paid dividends.

The Raptors rookie looked great in his preseason debut against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. He played an all-around great game, showed flashes of great defense, a solid shooting stroke and high basketball IQ. He finished the night with 13 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two blocks in limited action!