Watch: Scottie Barnes Says He's Still Feeling the Effects of Steven Adams' Screens
Scottie Barnes seems perfectly content to be done with the Memphis Grizzlies and Steven Adams this season. Heck, at this point, he'd probably be thrilled to never have to see Adams again.
"That’s a big man. Big man, big body," said the Toronto Raptors rookie as he stretched out his neck. "Caught me right in the neck. I still feel it, bro. God. That’s a big boy."
Welcome to the NBA, rook.
"Tried to fight through a screen and he got me one time," Barnes said with a smile. "It happens."
It doesn't happen in college, though, said Barnes. It's not every day you run into a 6-foot-11, 265-pound, brick wall of a man. But that's life in the NBA and Barnes is still trying to adjust.
He's surpassed his minutes total from all of last season and the aches and pains are already building up. While his thumb is "pretty good," the wear and tear of the NBA season that's just barely past the 1/4 mark is taking its toll.
"You have one night off and the next one you’ve got another game and then you play a lot of minutes. So I would say the main difference is just my body is feeling it a lot more than how it felt in college," Barnes said Wednesday. "You just sort of find that as the game goes, as soon as you’re done you start feeling it right away."
Barnes has had to learn to pay closer attention to his body, something that takes time to get used to. It wasn't until last year that Fred VanVleet truly realized how important it is to make sure his body is fully healthy. His battle with COVID-19 threw his season into chaos and when he returned he was never really 100%.
"I learned my lesson last year," VanVleet said last Sunday. "I don't have much leisure time this time around. When I'm not on the court I'm working, trying to get ready for the next game."
That's meant a routine of sleeping, stretching, treatment, strength workouts, film study, and not much else.
For Barnes, the youthful exuberance will only carry him so far. It's a lesson he's learning now as the bumps and bruises pile up.
Last year was a sprint. This year, in the NBA, it's a marathon.
Further Reading
What's next for Chris Boucher?
Raptors lose 'a really good dude' in Goran Dragic as they await the trade deadline
Scottie Barnes continues to show growth as Raptors fall to Celtics
