Tag: Scottie Barnes

Jalen Green, Tari Eason lead Rockets to impressive win over Raptors

Jalen Green (23 points) and Tari Eason (24 points, 8 rebounds) had impressive games in limited minutes as the short-handed Rockets upset Toronto in Friday’s exhibition.

Despite being down three starters and facing a perennial playoff team, the young Houston Rockets pulled off a very impressive preseason victory in Friday’s 116-100 win (box score) at Toyota Center over the visiting Raptors. Toronto, a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference, played the vast majority of its rotation players.

Second-year guard Jalen Green (23 points in 25 minutes) and rookie forward Tari Eason (24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals in 25 minutes) were the clear standouts as Houston led comfortably for the vast majority of the game. Green shot 7-of-16 overall (43.8%) and made 4-of-9 from 3-point range (44.4%) on Friday, while Eason hit 8-of-15 shots (53.3%) and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%).

The Raptors were led in defeat by former All-Star Pascal Siakam, who had 18 points and 6 rebounds in 27 minutes. Reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, who beat out Green for the honor in the 2021-22 season, was held to just 2 points on 0-of-5 shooting.

The Rockets were quite short-handed for Friday’s exhibition, as expected, with Jabari Smith Jr. (left ankle sprain), Alperen Sengun (dental procedure), Eric Gordon (rest), and head coach Stephen Silas (health and safety protocols) all out. Smith, Sengun, and Gordon were replaced in the lineup by Jae’Sean Tate, Bruno Fernando, and KJ Martin, while assistant John Lucas took over as acting head coach.

Martin, in particular, was impressive for the Rockets with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 27 minutes, shooting 4-of-9 from the field (44.4%) and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%).

Scroll on for postgame interviews and analysis. The Rockets (2-0) will resume their preseason schedule on Monday night at Miami, while the Raptors (2-1) will host Chicago on Sunday.

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Raptors at Rockets: Friday’s stream, lineups, injury reports and broadcast info

In a showdown of two promising second-year prospects from a loaded 2021 NBA draft class, Scottie Barnes and the Raptors visit Jalen Green and the Rockets on Friday night.

After a dominant showing in Sunday’s preseason opener versus San Antonio, the young Houston Rockets will face a far more talented opponent in Friday’s home exhibition versus the Toronto Raptors.

The rebuilding Spurs are projected to finish with one of the NBA’s worst records, whereas the Raptors — already off to a 2-0 start in the 2022-23 preseason — are a perennial playoff team and contender in the Eastern Conference. Thus, it should be a much greater challenge for Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and the young Rockets.

For Green in particular, it’s a showdown with fellow 2021 first-round draft pick Scottie Barnes. While both Barnes and Green were members of the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team for the 2021-22 season, Barnes beat out Green and their peers for Rookie of the Year honors.

Unfortunately for Green, he won’t have rookie sidekick Jabari Smith Jr. playing next to him after suffering a left ankle sprain in practice. The Rockets said his absence is “more precautionary.”

Scroll on for a look at broadcast information, projected lineups, and known injuries. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. from Toyota Center.

Ranking the most improved player ratings in NBA 2K23, including Ja Morant and Scottie Barnes

Two players from the Grizzlies were in the top 5.

NBA 2K23 unveiled player ratings for the soon-to-be-released video game, which becomes available for download on September 9.

We already know who won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award (and who the staff at USA TODAY Sports Media Group would have voted for). But who do the developers at NBA 2K23 view as the players who have taken the biggest leap?

Using the data on 2KRatings.com and archived ratings provided by our friends at HoopsHype, we were able to track the players who are going to be more effective in the game this year than they were when NBA 2K22.

(Fun fact: This is the second year in a row that both Desmond Bane and Darius Garland would have made the top-20 list for the Most Improved Players in the video game!)

Rival exec would make Scottie Barnes available for Kevin Durant trade

Should the Raptors give up Scottie Barnes if they can land Kevin Durant?

While the trade talks and rumors have died down slightly for disgruntled former MVP Kevin Durant, a rival executive believes the Raptors should make young star Scottie Barnes available in a trade.

ESPN analyst Tim MacMahon joined the discussion on Brian Windhorst’s podcast and reported that a rival exec told him that they would make Barnes available. Barnes earned Rookie of the Year this last season and is Toronto’s most valuable player on the roster, the exec hinted at only giving him up for Durant.

“An executive who I respect said he would give up Scottie Barnes for Kevin Durant — not for Donovan Mitchell, but for KD,” said MacMahon.

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As the regular season approaches the Nets will look to be certain in their roster, meaning that any moves they make should be soon. With Durant garnering interest from across the league, the franchise is in a good spot to hear offers.

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James Harden praises Scottie Barnes after getting picked up full-court in pick-up: ‘He a dog’

Scottie Barnes is such a menace on the defensive side of the floor.

Philadelphia’s James Harden gained a new respect for Toronto’s Scottie Barnes while working out together over the weekend.

The two players participated in a summer run with Raptors assistant coach Rico Hines. Hines, who focuses on player development, joined Toronto’s staff after previous experience with the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and St. John’s University.

Hines’ workouts have recently featured the likes of Harden and Barnes and several other stars, including Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. But Barnes, the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year, caught Harden’s attention.

You can watch the way that Barnes locked up the 2018 NBA MVP:

I’m not somebody who gets particularly excited about scrimmage footage.

But it’s riveting to watch Barnes take on Harden the full length of the court and it’s just as entertaining to see him clap each time he successfully prevents the three-time scoring champion from getting a bucket.

Here is what Harden had to say when reflecting on the workout with Barnes:

“I just like his competitive spirit, man. I like the competitive spirit that’s going on in here. Like, Scottie picked me up full court. It’s pickup! First week of August. He don’t give a [expletive]. He’s got that mindset. He a dog. Everybody should have that mindset, especially if you want to get paid, take care of your family. I love the work.”

That’s some high praise from Harden, but it’s not surprising. Before his pro career even began, Barnes made it his mission to destroy everyone at practice during his first NBA season.

Barnes is listed at 6-foot-8 with a 225-pound frame and 7-foot-2 wingspan. But he is quick enough to defend guards like Harden. Among players who have logged at least 1,000 minutes, per BBall-Index, he recorded the most defensive positional versatility of anyone in the league since the data was first tracked in 2013-14.

According to PBP Stats, Harden was defended by Barnes for 83 possessions during the postseason. During those possessions, Harden was 2-for-10 from the field and 0-for-4 on 3-pointers while recording three turnovers.

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Scottie Barnes, Christian Wood among NBA players supporting Jalen Green’s basketball camp

Reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and former Rockets teammate Christian Wood are among the NBA players showing support to Jalen Green at his annual basketball camp.

Second-year Rockets guard Jalen Green hosted his second annual youth basketball camp over the weekend in his hometown of Fresno, California, and he had help from a few NBA friends in pulling it off. Most notably, some of the biggest names aren’t from Houston.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and a member (like Green) of the 2021-22 All-Rookie First Team, stopped by to help out with campers. So, too, did Mavericks big man Christian Wood, who was Green’s teammate last season with the Rockets before the June trade that sent him from Houston to Dallas.

“We call each other brothers,” Barnes said of Green, per Bri Mellon of Fresno’s ABC affiliate. “We’re so tight, it was a no-brainer for me to come out here and show love to his city.”

Other NBA players in attendance over the weekend included Rockets backcourt mate Josh Christopher, Clippers guard Brandon Boston Jr., and Bucks rookie MarJon Beauchamp.

Scroll on for a look at highlights and interviews from the two-day camp. “It feels like a warm welcome to be home,” Green said.

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Scottie Barnes hilariously welcomes Juancho Hernangomez, aka Bo Cruz, to the Raptors

This will be the sixth team for Hernangomez since the 2019-20 campaign. 

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The Toronto Raptors have reportedly signed Juancho Hernangomez to a one-year contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

It’s not a particularly earth-shattering move for the Raptors, who will give some minutes off the bench to the journeyman big who has yet to find his forever home in the NBA. This will be the sixth team for Hernangomez since the 2019-20 campaign.

This transaction is particularly exciting, though, because the 26-year-old forward starred as Bo Cruz in Adam Sandler’s recent basketball film, Hustle.

Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, who won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year last year, welcomed Hernangomez to the team via Instagram.

Barnes shared a still from the movie in which Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards was savagely talking trash to the character Hernangomez portrays.

If you will recall, Barnes made a checklist of goals he wanted to accomplish during his rookie season. One such aspiration was to win Rookie of the Year, and another was to “destroy everyone at practice” in the process.

Perhaps we see Barnes giving Hernangomez a similar treatment to what we saw from Edwards in Hustle.

The Tip-Off

Detroit Pistons

Mike Sykes is back, folks, and he’s got some spicy opinions about the new Pistons’ throwbacks:

“These are good. Really good.

But…not to trample on the fun here. I just can’t help but wonder when the next time we’re going to get a new jersey design is. Not just from these Pistons — but from anyone across the league.

As good as these are, they’re part of a problem that we, as fans, haven’t talked about too much. And that problem is this: The NBA’s jerseys are getting boring. Very boring.

Let’s talk about it.”

Read the rest of his thoughts on the jerseys, and where the league is at with Nike’s designs.

Shootaround

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

— Jaylen Brown appeared to have a three-letter response to Kevin Durant, Celtics trade rumors

— Kevin Durant would cement the Celtics’ status as title favorites, writes Prince Grimes

— Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor revisits his 10 bold predictions from last offseason

— HoopsHype ranks the top 25 point guards for the upcoming season

2021 NBA Draft: 10 bold predictions from the preseason revisited

Rookie Wire made 10 bold predictions for the 2021-22 rookie class and made a vow to come back and see how we did.

Rookie Wire offered 10 bold predictions for the 2021-22 rookie class last October and made a vow at the time to come back after the season and see just how we did.

Well, it is that time to look back and review the results.

Our annual revisit of these bold predictions is our favorite time of the year. It typically just consists of us trying to convince basketball fans why we made the picks and why they should have come true, but ultimately didn’t.

Upon further review, this year proved to be no different.

Several predictions fell well short of expectations but to be fair, we were pretty close on a few. We just ask that you don’t alert the authorities at Freezing Cold Takes about the ones we missed badly on.

Here are the latest results with the verdict from each prediction.

Scottie Barnes upset that he got Sixers star Joel Embiid’s card in NBA2K

Toronto Raptors forward Scotie Barnes is upset that he got Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid’s card in NBA2K.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors have developed a bit of a rivalry over the years. The two squads went the distance in the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals and the Raptors won on a miraculous shot and the teams have exchanged blows ever since.

The latest was in the 2022 playoffs when the Sixers eliminated the Raptors in six games in Round 1. The series included close games, physical play, and a miraculous shot by star big man Joel Embiid in Game 3 on the road in overtime.

Raptors forward, and the 2022 Rookie of the Year winner, Scottie Barnes was injured in Game 1 of the series and he did not return until Game 4, but he appears to have some hard feelings after the playoffs.

Barnes was playing in the MyTeam mode on NBA2K and he got Embiid’s card. He immediately announced that he was going to sell the card.

Please be advised that the clip below contains language that some might consider offensive.

Embiid and Barnes will see other sooner rather than later as the 2022-23 season is getting set to begin in roughly two months. The Sixers and the Raptors can then renew their rivalry on the floor.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Trade rumor rankings: Donovan Mitchell, Scottie Barnes and more

The NBA offseason market has been ground to a halt as teams wait for a potential Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving trade to go down, neither of which looks all that close to coming to fruition.

The latest scuttle even indicates that both players may remain with the Brooklyn Nets next season.

Below, check out the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the past week.