Scottie Barnes Discusses Taking on His 'Brother' Jalen Suggs for the 1st Time

Toronto Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes talks about facing his close friend Orlando Magic rookie Jalen Suggs for the first time in the NBA careers

Scottie Barnes already gets it. He’s so locked in he doesn’t even pay attention to what’s going on on social media. He had no idea how excited Raptors fans were about the start of the season. He hadn’t seen all the Rookie of the Year talk or the Magic Johnson comparisons people were mentioning just five or so games into the year.

“I’m not trying to get big-headed. So I just stay away from it,” Barnes said when asked if he knew about the hype.

So the fact that Jalen Suggs is coming to town, the man the Raptors supposedly passed on to draft Barnes fourth overall in July, doesn’t faze him.

“Social media’s gonna do its thing regardless of what happens,” Barnes said Thursday. “They’re gonna do their thing. I don’t think it matters to either of us.”

It’s easy from the outside to make this game about Scottie Barnes vs. Jalen Suggs. Two rookies will forever be tied together as the fourth and fifth picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, respectively. But Barnes doesn’t look at it that way. To him, he and Suggs aren't rivals, they're brothers.

The two grew up close friends as do so many other elite young basketball players. They played on USA Basketball together and have been close since they were 14 or 15 years old, Barnes said. It’s why Suggs was so excited for Barnes on draft night. Just watch the footage from that night, Suggs is the first one standing when the Raptors’ pick is announced, clapping and cheering for Barnes as he finds out he’s being drafted.

The truth is, nothing on draft night was all that surprising to Barnes and probably not Suggs either. Barnes said he knew there was a connection with the Raptors during his pre-draft workout. He thought he had performed well for the team, but when Raptors president Masai Ujiri came down to meet with him following the workout Barnes’ group realized going No. 4 was a real possibility.

Since then, it’s appeared to be a perfect match. It’s not just that Barnes has developed into an offensive weapon quicker than most scouts had anticipated, but the Florida State product fit the mold the Raptors were looking for with the fourth pick. He’s a 6-foot-7 do-it-all point forward who can facilitate the offense as a point guard or screen and roll as a traditional big. On the other end of the court, he can spend one night taking on Malcolm Brogdon or Bradley Beal and the next defending Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, or Nikola Vucevic for stretches. Suggs, conversely, is more traditional as a 6-foot-5 guard who is at home running the offense and manning up against opposing guards at the other end.

Ultimately, both Toronto and Orlando should be thrilled with the way the draft played out. Barnes has looked phenomenal to start the season and while Suggs hasn’t blown anyone away early, there’s no doubt he’ll have a very long and successful NBA career.

Further Reading

Watch: Fred VanVleet Says Dalano Banton Will be a 'Problem' if He Develops a Three-Point Shot

Rotation shake up works as Raptors speed past Pacers

Watch: Nick Nurse discusses Scottie Barnes' shooting skills & fit offensively