Mavericks Hall of Famers Explain What Makes Raptors' Scottie Barnes so Special

Scottie Barnes stood on the right wing, dribbling with his right hand as the Dallas Mavericks dropped into a zone defense midway through the fourth quarter Saturday night. Typically, this would be the moment for the Toronto Raptors to slow things down and initiate a half-court offensive set.

But Barnes had other plans.

Ochai Agbaji darted toward the middle of the floor, briefly screening PJ Washington before flashing into the paint. No defender rotated to pick him up. Barnes, still dribbling casually, glanced left — a subtle misdirection — before slinging a one-handed dart to Agbaji. It was the kind of pass that freezes defenders and opens up easy points. Alone under the basket, Agbaji quickly spun and laid it in, pausing just long enough to register how open he was.

This is the ripple effect of giving a 6-foot-8 playmaker the keys to an offense. Barnes is part of the NBA's growing collection of supersized quasi-point guards who are shifting the league’s perception of what a "primary ball-handler" should look like.

“It used to always be a small guy was the point guard, but now we have guys that are 6’11”, 6’8” playing the point and it just changes the game. Their vision, the window of passing is a little bit higher, and then also just their ability,” Mavericks coach and Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd said early Saturday night. “These guys can all put it on the floor, get to the rim, and it just puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”

Barnes is the embodiment of Kidd's point. His blend of size, speed, and passing vision makes him a unique offensive engine in the league. Among NBA players 6-foot-8 or taller, only Nikola Jokic and LeBron James have recorded more assists this season. Barnes’ 14-assist effort against the Mavericks set a new career high, a testament to his growing comfort orchestrating Toronto's offense.

“Scottie is one of those guys along with Luka that likes to keep attacking and feels like he's never out of the game,” said Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. “That's one of the traits of some of the great players in the league.”

What separates Barnes from most traditional playmakers is his ability to generate offense early in the shot clock. The Raptors are constantly looking to strike quickly. Only the Memphis Grizzlies have attempted more shots within the first six seconds of the shot clock this season, and Barnes is a key reason why. He rebounds, turns, and pushes — often before defenses have time to set.

“I think they're able to use their vision very well, they’re able to flatten the defense, they’re able to post up, they’re able to isolate on the perimeter, and most importantly they're able to push the pace and make a lot of tough passes that a lot of small guards can’t make,” Irving said of Barnes, Luka Doncic, and the league’s other towering ball-handlers. “It’s just their advantage.”

There’s no better proof of Barnes’ pace-pushing mentality than what he did in the second quarter against Dallas. After a made Mavericks basket, Barnes barely hesitated before bursting up the court. Three dribbles later, he found RJ Barrett in the corner for a wide-open three-pointer. It swished with 18 seconds still on the shot clock — an offense so quick that Dallas barely had time to react.

Later, Barnes showed off his more deliberate playmaking skills. He rejected a screen from Gradey Dick, snaked his way into the paint, and spotted Agbaji cutting from the corner. A split-second later, the ball was in Agbaji's hands for a reverse layup.

“I think Scottie takes a lot of traits from guys that have come before him, being able to have the ball in his hands and make great decisions,” Irving said. “He's just a true competitor. He's been the same way since high school, so you got to give him credit, man. He does all the little things, and I think we'll see how he continues to evolve as a taller guard.”

Barnes has been forced to play an even bigger role in Toronto's offense as the team waits for Immanuel Quickley to return from his sprained UCL. Quickley’s absence has left the Raptors without a more traditional starting point guard option, but it’s also given them a chance to see just how far they can go with Barnes leading the charge.

So far, the experiment has been a success.