Detroit Pistons 2021 Early Draft Profile: Scottie Barnes

Possible Pistons draft picks: Scottie Barnes’ weaknesses

While Scottie Barnes is a very agile player, Barnes is not an elite athlete like some of the other top prospects are. He does not have elite speed, which helps him create separation in the open court. This could become problematic once he is in the NBA since most players today are elite athletes.

But it should not be so worrisome since his incredible feel for the rhythm of the game will allow him to level the playing field. Another minor concern is his ball-handling skills. Barnes never played guard in high school. He was always a forward who was attacking the rim and making his presence felt in the restricted area. If Barnes wants to wants to succeed in the NBA  he needs to be able to use his elite playmaking abilities on a consistent basis.

Now time for the biggest issue with Barnes’ game: his shooting. Notice how I did not mention a single thing about Barnes’ shooting capabilities on the strengths page. He seems to be uncomfortable shooting outside of the paint. He is a very inconsistent shooter, and it’s a very apparent worry when it comes to his three-point shooting. During his freshman year, Barnes is shooting 29.7 percent from beyond the arc. Understandably, his shooting struggle can make some Pistons fans anxious about taking him with a high pick.

However, Barnes is still shooting 1.8 three-pointers per game which shows that he is willing to take that shot, so he has confidence in himself even if the shots are not falling right now. This is very important to mention since it shows once Barnes improves his shot, he will not have an issue getting into a rhythm of shooting often. On top of his shooting struggles from the field, Barnes is not a good free-throw shooter. So far this year, Barnes is only shooting 60.9 percent from the charity stripe.

But how does he fit on the Detroit Pistons?