Toronto Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes and Orlando Magic first-year guard Jalen Suggs will always be connected in some way.
Taken fourth and fifth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, the link between Barnes and Suggs, to many, was apparently made when the Raptors took Barnes at No. 4 instead of Suggs, whom many expected them to draft at the spot.
However, as Barnes revealed on Thursday, the connection between him and Suggs extends so much further beyond just what ended up being a pair of draft night decisions made by two different teams.
“We’ve been knowing each other since I was like 14, 15,” said Barnes. “We just connected, bonded.”
Barnes and Suggs have both competed with and against each other all throughout their AAU days, the collegiate ranks and with Team USA, and on Friday, this bond Barnes and Suggs share will finally extend to the NBA stage.
The Raptors take on the Magic at Scotiabank Arena Friday at 7 p.m. on Sportsnet ONE in a matchup that will see the two rooks square off for the first time under the brightest lights in basketball.
On Thursday, when asked about the matchup, Barnes did his best to couch some of the anticipation that this showdown between the Nos. 4 and 5 picks looks to be building — saying “social media is gonna do its thing regardless what happens” — but given some of the criticism seen from both the media and the team’s fan base, alike, over the Raptors’ decision to take Barnes over Suggs, that’s to be expected.
However, though only five games into the season for both Barnes and Suggs, Toronto’s draft-night decision looks pretty good as things stand at the moment.
This doesn’t mean things can’t change in the future — and, really, you’d like to see both young men perform well and end up with strong NBA careers — but it’s undeniable that Barnes has gotten off to the better start to his NBA career.
As mentioned before, five games isn’t much of a sample size, but in just about every counting stat, it’s clear that Barnes has been the better player so far.
In particular, the 17 points per game that Barnes is averaging has come as quite a pleasant surprise for the Raptors, especially because he wasn’t touted as a big-time scorer coming out of college. This average has Barnes ranked second among all rookies in scoring and second on the Raptors.
Suggs is sixth in NBA rookie scoring, and he’s not only scoring less than Barnes, but he’s been far less efficient shooting the ball, plus his shot selection has looked suspect at times.
Additionally, on the defensive end of the floor, Raptors coach Nick Nurse has trusted Barnes already with some tough assignments such as Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum, and Barnes has held his own on that end of things.
Suggs, on the other hand, hasn’t looked bad defensively, but he hasn’t really been tested on that end of the floor yet, either, so it’s tough to say how good an NBA defender he is yet.
For Suggs, in all facets of the game, it looks like he’s still trying to adjust to the NBA level — at a premium position playing for a franchise that desperately needs him to help turn their fortunes around — and that’s all likely led to a slow start out of the gate.
Conversely, though Barnes is a high draft pick, the Raptors’ internal structure doesn’t necessarily need Barnes to step in and be a star immediately — even though that’s what he’s been doing so far.
The differences in situations between the Raptors and Magic is a good reason as to why Barnes has looked so much better than Suggs to begin the season, and may also explain why Barnes’ counting stats perhaps weren’t as impressive as Suggs’ were when they were in college last season.
Like what they’re experiencing in the NBA, there was a marked difference in situation between Barnes and Suggs when they were in college.
Barnes was primarily used as a sixth man at Florida State, and his productivity looked to take a small hit because of it. Additionally, Barnes was also learning point guard on the fly, meaning he wasn’t slotted into what appears to be his more natural spot like he is with the Raptors at the three and four.
By comparison, Suggs was a feature guy on a very good Gonzaga team, but he wasn’t expected to be a true saviour for the Bulldogs because of the talent the team featured and was in more of a situation that Barnes now finds himself with the Raptors where he was expected to contribute, but not do everything.
It’s a matter of adjustment for Suggs in the NBA game, something Barnes hasn’t really had to go through, and the results have spoken for themselves.
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Ultimately, given the potential both Barnes and Suggs flash, there’s a good chance that both could end up as good NBA players and it’s something that the two long-time friends wish for each other.
“We’re both happy for each other. We wish each other the best of luck,” said Barnes.
For now, however, Barnes looks like the better player between the two, and on Friday evening, as friendly a guy as Barnes is naturally, don’t be surprised if the competitor in him goes out there and proves it.
