Scotties Barnes continues to make a name for himself.
It started during the pre-draft process, climbing team's boards and eventually going No. 4 overall to the Toronto Raptors.
Now that process continues, as Barnes keeps turning heads in preseason games, and making a case for an outside shot for Rookie of the Year.
A lot really. He's a relentless defender that loves to take on the toughest defensive assignment every game. The best perimeter defenders in the NBA are always willing to accept that challenge.
Add that to his great court vision and high basketball IQ, and you have a great playmaker that can find himself successful playing multiple positions.
He still has work to do on the scoring part of the offensive side, averaging 10.3 points per game in his only season at Florida State, and his three-point shooting doesn't have defenders crowding him on the perimeter, but those skills can come when you have the work ethic Barnes does.
Currently, Barnes has the sixth-best odds to win ROY at +1200 with PointsBet, and in a loaded NBA Draft class, it won't be easy. Add that to the fact that he's not really a go-to scorer right now, and ROY is an award that really is won by the flashy numbers, he isn't a strong bet to win.
In fact, only once in NBA history has there been a Rookie of the Year to average less than ten points a game. Well it was actually two, since it ended in a tie.
Oh, you want their names? How about the legendary Mel Hutchins (9.2 points per game) and Bill Tosheff (9.4) way back in 1952.
Malcolm Brogdon was a rare outlier in 2017 at 10.2 per game and was the only second-rounder to ever win it. Other than that, Mike Miller was the last to average less than even 13 points a game and win the award, in 2001.
So no, I wouldn't look at Barnes to win with so many big-scoring talents in this year's class.
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