Golden State Warriors NBA Draft: Top 5 prospects to target

Golden State Warriors NBA Draft target: Scottie Barnes

Scouts seem to be split on Scottie Barnes. Is he another prototypical 3-and-D star like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Jaylen Brown — or is he simply a player who is decent (but far from great) on both ends of the floor?

Pros

We’ll start with the obvious: Barnes has an astronomical ceiling. A wing with great size, length and mobility, it is hard not to be interested in what the future holds for Barnes.

He flashed signs of ball handling, shot creation, spot-up shooting, efficiency in the paint and resilience defense during his freshman year with Florida State. Barnes posted averages of 10.3 points, 4.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds on 50 percent shooting.

Cons

However, when I say Barnes flashed his potential, I mean he really only looked good in flashes. Barnes was inconsistent and shot below 30 percent from the 3-point line. It wasn’t all that rare for him to completely disappear from games and there are questions about how badly he truly wants to maximize his physical gifts.

Best Role

Nonetheless, there is a clear path to NBA stardom for Barnes. Learning defense under Draymond Green and improving his shooting with the Splash Brothers could convert him into a deadly two-way wing. Think Andrew Wiggins but on a much cheaper contract.