Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was one of the top rookie players throughout the regular season and head coach Nick Nurse believes that strong play should continue in the playoffs.
Barnes is among those players in contention to win Rookie of the Year after a strong campaign. He averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 74 games, and finished off the season by winning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for March and April.
The fourth pick ranked inside the top five among all first-year players in scoring (third), rebounds (third) and steals (fifth), and was sixth in assists. He has played an integral role as a starter and impressed to help Toronto (48-34) claim the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto will open up the first round of the playoffs Saturday on the road versus the Philadelphia 76ers (6 p.m. EDT, ESPN). Barnes averaged 13 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in three games versus the Sixers this season and will once again be a key player.
Nurse, citing Barnes’ growth, expects him to play well versus Philly.
I would expect him to be really great. I really would. I think the trajectory of how is playing is he looks like he’s getting stronger. He just looks like he is playing harder and more physical and doing more. Game after game he’s getting stronger, so that bodes well for him I would imagine.
He is going to have some ups and downs. He’ll be in the same category as about every other guy on the team where one night he probably won’t have much and one night he’ll have a big one. I think they’ll all go through that, which they do in the playoffs.
Barnes, like the rest of the Raptors, will be all over the Sixers’ scouting report. Doc Rivers on Tuesday offered high praise for Barnes and was a player the 76ers head coach watched film on last year during the pre-draft process.
He has certainly earned plenty of attention this season and will be a key focus of the Sixers as the two teams meet for Game 1. Teams often don’t have to gameplan much for rookies but Barnes has proven to be anything but a typical first-year player.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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