Former FSU Basketball Star Scottie Barnes Makes All-Star Game
After being snubbed from the initial All-Star announcement last week, former Florida State Seminole Scottie Barnes has been named an All-Star as one of Joel Embiid's and Julius Randle's injury replacements. Barnes is in the middle of a tremendous season for the Toronto Raptors, averaging 20.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 5.8 APG, shooting 47.9% from the floor and 36.5% from 3. He joins Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young as the other injury replacement.
Barnes becomes the third Seminole to ever be selected for the NBA All-Star Game and the first since Sam Cassell for the Timberwolves in the 2003-04 season, which was Cassell's only All-Star appearance. With Barnes being just 22 years old, he has the potential to catch up to Dave Cowens' 8 All-Star selections.
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The Raptors have invested heavily into the future by clearing the franchise for Barnes, trading away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby this season to give him more opportunity, which has been paying off for him. They haven't had much team success this season, sitting just 12th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 17-33 record, but it hasn't been Barnes' fault, who is averaging career-best in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and 3-point percentage.
Scottie Barnes was a highly touted recruit out of Montverde Academy and signed to play for Florida State in 2020. In his lone season in Tallahassee, he averaged 10.3 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 4.0 RPG as a massive 6'9" point guard, winning ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC 6th Man of the Year. His success and high ceiling as a prospect led him to be selected 4th overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 NBA Draft.
You can watch Scottie Barnes play in his first NBA All-Star game on February 18th at 8 PM on TNT.
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