“What 6’9 dudes pick up PGs 94 feet?” - Kyle Kuzma believes ROY winner could be the best defender in the league for a long time
Scottie Barnes has officially won this season's Rookie of the Year, and Kyle Kuzma took to Twitter to praise the young Toronto Raptor. Even though Kuzma never won the award himself, he stood out in the 2017 NBA Draft and was an NBA Champion.
One of the most impressive things Barnes has done throughout his rookie season has been his defensive effort, which is the side of the court that Kuzma has always been good at. In his tweet congratulating Barnes, Kuzma made sure to mention the rookie’s defensive effort by tweeting out:
“He could be the best defender in the league for a long time. What 6’9 dudes pick up PGs 94 feet?”
He could be best defender in the league for a long time. What 6’9 dudes pick up PGs 94 feet? twitter.com/espn/status/15…
Even though Barnes's defense has been a mainstay in his rookie season, his offense has slowly progressed. He averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 49% from the field, while playing 35.3 minutes a game. His offensive rating per 100 possessions, 116, is higher than his defensive rating, 111.
The Raptors made the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, and Barnes has been a big part of the team’s success. Similarly, Kuzma immediately impacted the Los Angeles Lakers, who drafted him 27th overall.
Despite the Lakers ' lack of regular-season success, he would average 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his rookie season. Kuzma would become a significant role player in the 2019-20 playoffs for the Lakers as they would win the NBA Finals.
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Kuzma would be a key piece in trading for Russell Westbrook and has impressed in his first season with the Washington Wizards and proved he can be an outstanding role player in the NBA.
Kyle Kuzma’s comparison to Scottie Barnes
Even though Barnes was drafted fourth in the draft and Kyle Kuzma was drafted 27th, they both have similar qualities and could have similar careers. They both came into the league with NBA-ready bodies and solid defense.
The most significant difference between the two has been that Kuzma entered the NBA draft after his senior year in college, being drafted at 22 years old. Barnes would only spend one year in college and not even be a starter for his team before declaring for the NBA draft.
HIGHLIGHTS: @kylekuzma pours in 25 points and five triples on 10-of-13 shooting https://t.co/fHjBfEpR2g
The other big difference is that Kuzma had proven to be a floor spacer throughout his career, while Barnes has shown flashes but has yet to prove that. Barnes is also a better creator with the ball. He is a player who has been trusted to take the ball up the court and run the half-court offense.
If Barnes could eventually round out his shot, like Kyle Kuzma, he could have an even better season than Kuzma very soon.