Kevin Durant Shares High Praise for Scottie Barnes After Shocking Raptors Victory
It’s clear Kevin Durant sees something special in Scottie Barnes.
For three years now, the two-time NBA Finals MVP has been praising the Toronto Raptors rookie as one of the most talented young players in the league.
“I think a lot of young guys in the league have that competitive fire, but he has something a little extra as far as seeing the game a little slower,” Durant said back in Barnes’ rookie year. “That’s rare for a guy...how old is he? 19? 20? Sheesh! He not only plays the right way, he’s only going to get better.”
During Barnes’ sophomore campaign, Durant doubled down on his praise.
“I think he's only going to get better as time goes on,” Durant said of Barnes last season. “I know a lot of people are expecting a lot out of him but [he's] still a young player, still growing every day. You got a good one up here in Toronto.”
On Wednesday, after a 23-point showing from Barnes that included 12 points in a decisive fourth quarter, Durant was again quick to praise the Raptors’ young star.
“(He’s) just getting more and more comfortable, more experienced only will make you better as a player,” Durant said. “Darko’s trusting him to bring the ball up the court more and play a point-forward and he’s shooting threes at a high rate now. So the sky’s the limit for him.”
It wasn’t exactly smooth-sailing for Barnes who had just four points heading into halftime against Phoenix, but what makes the 22-year-old so special is his ability to come alive in crunch time. He nailed a crucial pull-up three to keep Toronto’s bench unit ticking early in the fourth and added an old-fashioned three-point play moments later.
“He’s a winner, Scottie Barnes is a winner,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said. “When you coach him, you just feel that energy, you feel him on the bench the way he’s energizing the whole team. He’s not shying away from the moment offensively or defensively.”
