With the NBA draft combine wrapped up, Florida State forward Scottie Barnes is one prospect who helped his stock the most during the event.
Barnes, who measured in at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, intrigued teams and scouts with his size and athleticism. He recorded a 7-foot-2 wingspan at the combine and the second-fastest shuttle run, clocking in at 2.99 seconds on the court.
The display by Barnes, combined with his overall skills and ability, has some scouts believing he could sneak his way into the top five on draft night. According to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, Barnes could go in the 4-6 range.
It helps matters that Barnes is by all accounts affable and well-liked by his peers, making him perhaps even more intriguing to rebuilding teams where his leadership and personality type add real value on a younger roster. He’s likely to win the intangibles battle, and with the Raptors, Magic and Thunder drafting 4–6, it’s a reasonable bet Barnes goes off the board in that range.
Barnes, who was named the ACC Freshman of the Year, averaged 10.3 points, 4.1 assists, four rebounds and 1.5 steals in 24 games with the Seminoles. He has drawn comparisons to Draymond Green given his ability on defense and willingness to do the little things on the court.
The 19-year-old is now considered to be among the top six prospects in the draft this year. Most mock drafts have the Oklahoma City Thunder taking him with the sixth pick, but others believe Barnes has an opportunity to sneak into the top five.
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Previously, there seemed to be a consensus that it was a five-person draft this year, but the emergence of Barnes has many rethinking that notion. Of course, Barnes still has plenty of time to impress teams in private workouts, so he could eventually go higher than fifth.
The NBA draft is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 29.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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