Scottie Barnes reacts when protected by Kevin Durant

Scottie Barnes is not new to the idea of ​​guarding superstars, but when Toronto Raptors faced to brooklyn network on Tuesday night, the roles were reversed. This time, he was the center of attention. This time, Brooklyn’s defense scouted enough to recognize Barnes’ burgeoning offensive ability, and so they were arguably their best stop for him for a substantial part of the second half of the game. play.

Kevin Durant.

“Kevin Durant is a very good player,” Barnes told reporters. “He can do anything on the floor — put the ball on the floor, score goals, shoot the ball, really do whatever you want on the floor. But I only see opportunities where I can drive and create open shots and try to score at the right time. So I’m just trying to get to certain positions and find a way to score.”

It quickly became clear (increasing as the game went on) that the respect both Durant and the Nets had for Barnes was warranted. In one example, Barnes lunged at Durant in the middle of the post, hitting him with a smooth hook. On the other hand, he easily powers himself through the old MVP and connects on a track after delivering a subtle prosthetic. And in another, he had a strike back before dribbling outside the box, KD on his heel, where he pulled up immediately and nailed the timing trio.

I love KD but this moment is powerful.

Scottie Barnes is the truth. pic.twitter.com/GDfPF2DFEY

– Amit Mann (@Amit_Mann) December 15, 2021

“I was actually able to get to my position where I did little moves to try to get him off balance,” the Raptors rookie shared. “So [Durant’s length] really doesn’t bother me too much; it looks really open to me. “

Never before has Barnes shown fear of a challenge when others might have faltered. Instead, he has risen again and again, engaged and invigorated with every possession, taking a little look at the Rookie of the Year nominee he is.

It’s not the smoldering of the torch (Durant’s still too good for this case), but there’s a strange feeling one gets when not fully understanding the heat of a moment. Barnes and Durant’s careers may not have overlapped for too long, but here they did, and the results couldn’t have been more perfect.

It was crazy that Scottie Barnes’ coaching staff had to beg him to shoot for 3 more seconds.

He shot 42% on 5 tries since he decided to shoot them more. pic.twitter.com/5VUWTcOyb7

– KENNY BEECHAM (@ KOT4Q) December 15, 2021

“You know who you’re going against playing against this team,” Barnes said. “You know Kevin Durant is on the floor.”

Finally, Barnes up 23 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists with a real shot rate of 69.6 in 44 minutes of overtime. Even though his Raptors fell no sound Nets, it’s another reminder that the future is bright in Toronto.