Scottie Barnes has earned his place with the Toronto Raptors. Starting out as a dependable rookie in 2021, Barnes is one of the few players the Raptors fans rely on for a stellar performance. The young forward, of course, continues to deliver, making noise this month for his 25-point performance during the team’s 122-104 win against the Indiana Pacers.
While fans continue to hype the 24-year-old, head coach Darko Rajaković had only good things to say about the NBA’s future star.
Scootie Barnes Reacts to Raptors HC Darko Rajaković’s High Praise
On Sunday afternoon, Barnes scored 25 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists for his team. He went 12-20 from the field, complete with four blocks and two steals. All in all, Barnes’ outing was the perfect example of how far he has come as a skilled player.
Considering his game, head coach Rajaković was all praises for the player, hyping him and making bold predictions for his NBA future.
“I’ll tell you what, Scottie Barnes is the Defensive Player of the Year. Scottie is an All-Star. Scottie is going to be NBA Finals MVP one day. Scottie is going to be MVP of this league one day, and I’m calling that now. You can write down the date of when I said that,” Rajaković told the media.
According to the head coach, Barnes has a long way to go as a player and will only get better by the time he’s 27 or 28. He explained that Barnes is improving every single week, and when he gets better as a player, it only makes Rajaković’s job easier.
When asked about his coach’s comments, Barnes had the perfect reply ready.
Speaking to the media, Barnes said, “That’s my coach, man. He’s always supporting us, always got our back. That’s Darko for you 😅❤️.”
Fans mostly agreed with Rajaković, agreeing that they’d be unstoppable if they had similar support. The coach also expressed his pride in Barnes.
“He really thinks about how to help the team and how to win basketball games. That’s the only thing he has on his mind. Really proud of him,” Rajaković concluded.
With the team for five seasons now, Barnes is currently averaging 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists, while shooting 50.3% from the field.
Rajaković joined the Raptors in 2023, taking over after Nick Nurse.
With a 32-22 win-loss record this regular season, the Raptors are currently ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference. They face the Detroit Pistons for their next game on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
