What Scottie Barnes could have averaged in rookie season as a primary option

Scottie Barnes' basketball trainer, Brian Macon, joined Amit Mann to hypothesize what kind of numbers Barnes could have put up if he was used as a primary option on the offensive end. The full episode on Barnes' offseason development can be found on the 'Raptors Over Everything' podcast feed and on our Yahoo Sports Canada YouTube.

Video Transcript

BRAIN MACON: When he's really comfortable, you're going to see a lot-- a lot more out of Scottie because he's-- even you guys, like, everybody thinks that he's good, he's still way better than everybody thinks he is-- way better-- way better-- way better. Like, he's special. I'm telling-- like, I'll make another proclamation.

He's a special, special, special talent-- special talent. I ain't going to get myself in trouble. But he's a special-- he's, like, a-- he's a special, special talent, like a-- like an infectious personality that's a special talent how Magic Johnson was. That's the best comparison that you can make for him.

AMIT MANN: Yeah.

BRAIN MACON: Yeah, I mean, just a special person who can make everybody better. He lights up the room. Like, that's just-- that's who he is.

AMIT MANN: If he was on a different team-- now, this is just, like-- this is very much a guess, right? But-- and he already won Rookie of the Year. So clearly, he got the NBA recognition that he rightly deserved. If he was on a team that, say, was, like, out of the playoff race, you know, early years of their development plan, and he wasn't on a team that was, like, the Toronto Raptors, who ended up, you know, being fourth and had higher aspirations, like, what could Scottie have done in terms of, like, a points per game, total rebounds, assists if he was just able to have the ball in his hands more?

Now, granted, like, I think Scottie, over everything, he wants winning. He wants to see his teammates do well and all that kind of stuff. But it's kind of a fun thing to think about, like, because like you said, I mean, there is so much more there. And we didn't even see everything he had in his rookie season, let alone going into his sophomore year. Like, could he have been like a 20-and-10-and-5 kind of guy on a different team?

BRAIN MACON: I mean, I think so. But you might have not had the-- the shooting percentages might have been lower, you know. Like, he probably would have had more shots, but his shooting percentages probably would have been lower.

But I think his impact on the game would've-- I feel like the more he has the ball in his hands, the better you're going to-- just because you want your superstars to be-- I mean, not your superstars. But you want the people who are having the ball to be unselfish. And you want them to be a mismatch problem, you know. And that's exactly what he is.

He's super unselfish, wants to see the other guy make shots, just as happy when he's making assists as when he's scoring. But then he can also score at a high rate. So I think you probably would have seen [INAUDIBLE]. I think the Raptors are going to see a lot of it this year too.

AMIT MANN: Sure.

BRAIN MACON: And I think that he's going to have a great year. And I think he just has to finish up the summer strong. And I think he's had a great summer. He's had a great rookie year, a great summer. And he's just going to continue to-- just going to continue to progressively get better and better.

And I mean, if you look at it every day, you may not see it. But when you, like, back up from it and you look over a course of a year, you're going to go, oh, shoot, he got better in every area. And he's just going to continue to get better in every area. So, yeah.

AMIT MANN: Yeah, yeah.