It is the day before the draft and…. we still have lots of optionality™. However, as we saw from Woj's tweet announcing Scottie's max extension:
ESPN Sources: Toronto Raptors All-Star guard Scottie Barnes intends to sign a five-year maximum rookie extension that could be worth up to $270 million. Barnes is the franchise cornerstone and will become the highest paid player in Raptors history.
Scottie and his team view him as a big guard (Woj tends to just tweet whatever the agent tells them to tweet). I think at some level, we all knew this. But it's always nice to be reminded — especially as a lot discourse over the past year around Scottie has been around:
- His fit with other forwards like Pascal
- His ideal defensive fit (I think most people here think he is optimally a roaming low-man on the back-line, not the primary PoA defender like OG)
- How do you build around Scottie?
That last question is the million dollar one perhaps — and I think it's best to break down "fit" in terms of "offensive fit" and "defensive fit". This is what we have currently:
Offensive roles
- Primary ball-handler / playmaker: Scottie / IQ
- Secondary ball-handler / playmaker: IQ / Scottie / RJ
- DHO facilitator: Scottie / Poeltl / Olynyk
- Rim pressure: RJ
- Slasher / cutter: RJ / Gradey / Ochai
- Wing shooters: GTJ / Gradey / Olynyk / Ochai
- PnR finishers: Poeltl / Scottie
- Pick and pop shooters: Olynyk / Scottie (if the shot becomes consistent enough)
- Isolation players: Scottie / GTJ / RJ
Team needs:
- Another primary / secondary playmaker for the bench
- Pick and pop shooters
- Players that can generate rim pressure
Defensive roles
- Guard contain PoA: no one really, Ochai perhaps best one
- Wing contain PoA: Scottie / Ochai / RJ?
- PnR rim protection: Poeltl
- Post defenders: Poeltl / Olynyk / Scottie
- Secondary rim protection: Scottie
- PnR screen chasers: Ochai, IQ
- Off-ball defensive playmakers: IQ, GTJ, Gradey
Team needs:
I can't lie the defensive side of the ball looks bleak. I am not going to list everything this team needs here, but perhaps just the key holes.
- Guard PoA defenders
- Rim protection in general
Given the current state of the roster, how would you go about building this team? What are the ideal fits? Since this is just for fun, the only limitation is that they need to play Darkoball (i.e. think like you're in the FO and you're completely bought in)
by -vinay
14 Comments
I mean he needs to have the ball in his hands more, it was so frustrating to see him off ball etc. He should be facilitating and touching the ball every possession. It’s like LeBron and Giannis, spread the floor with shooters and let’s see what happens.
Team needs: draft picks we don’t trade away
Ideally in the long run he’s a point forward but he needs a PG with him.
Scottie needs better handles
It’s like calling Lamar Odom a guard. It’s simply inaccurate.
He’s a point forward. Calling him a guard is like calling LeBron a guard, it’s just inaccurate relative to how positions are traditionally defined.
In terms of fit, the same archetype applies. On offense surround him with shooters. On defense, like you said, let him roam/help.
Wouldn’t he have better odds for all-NBA as a forward?
it’s like calling Magic a guard, it’s beyond ridiculous
I cant do this for a shit team lol
Ill do this again when the team is ready to compete.
Need more talent.
It’s funny how much people prioritize Scottie saying he’s a guard as if anyone actually cares what his team thinks or what he lists in his instagram bio
If you’re constraint to playing Darko ball then the only real solution is for each individual player to improve their defense.
The other option might be to go box and one, draft Ryan Dunn and then try to generate most of the offense in transition so he never has to shoot.
not saying hes on the same level yet, but you build the team like you would with giannis and lebron. need more reliable shooting and a spacing 5 to run scottie at the 1.
Or scottie magically needs to develop a jumper or reliable off the dribble 3.
The guard of what?
People get riled up anytime Scottie is referred to as a guard