Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors had a magical first season in the NBA, surprising everybody who didn’t think he was a top-5 pick ahead of the 2021 NBA draft. The young player was a surprising pick in the last edition of the draft, but he made sure to prove doubters wrong, becoming one of the best stories in Toronto this season.
After a magical campaign with the Raptors, helping them to reach the playoffs after missing the big party last season, the 20-year-old has received the biggest award a rookie can get in the league.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the exciting young player is getting the award after a big season at Scotiabank Arena, where he exceeded expectations and raised the bar pretty high.
Toronto Raptors‘ Scottie Barnes has won the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 23, 2022
Toronto Raptors‘ Scottie Barnes has won the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year, sources tell.
Barnes beat out Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley, who also had strong performances this season. In the end, Barnes was the winner, confirming that this season was magical for him.
The future is bright for this kid, who is already drawing big comparisons with other people, including Magic Johnson who stated he sees a lot of him in Scottie. The Raptors found a gem when many people thought they would be a bust, and this is great for their future.
He averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 74 games with the Raptors, shooting for 49.2% from the field and 30.1% from beyond the arc.
