NBA

Fred VanVleet praises Scottie Barnes development and on how to take advice

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 11: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors and Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors walk on during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on November 11, 2021 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fred VanVleet took some time to talk about Scottie Barnes’ developments and the importance of advice as NBA athletes.

“I think it just speaks to being accountable and being coachable, and that’s part of this thing that you don’t really talk about a lot. We are very pampered, spoiled guys and we make a lot of money and everybody in our world is telling us how great we are, but sometimes you’ve gotta have people to tell you the truth and you’ve gotta be able to accept that.”

Fred VanVleet

Scottie Barnes has had an exciting rookie season so far this year. He’s been incredibly flexible and shown a critical willingness to learn from his teammates and coaches. Recently, Nick Nurse told him to start launching more deep balls, and Barnes has been remarkable since employing his learnings.

VanVleet does a great job of highlighting the importance of adaptability in the NBA. Most importantly, for young players in the league like 2021 fourth overall draft choice of the Toronto Raptors, Scottie Barnes. VanVleet discusses Barnes’s embodiment of this flexibility and how his game has benefitted from it.

“So whether that’s Nick pulling him after he threw that crazy behind-the-back pass or telling him to shoot more, he steps up and he looks like he’s been shooting all his life. So just being accountable and being coachable, and that’s that best way to improve.”

Fred VanVleet

As VanVleet said, Scottie Barnes has taken coach Nurse’s advice in a big way. Coming out of college, Barnes wasn’t necessarily an excellent three-point shooter. In his year at Florida State University, Barnes shot just 27.5 percent from beyond the arc, on just 1.7 three-point attempts per game. This trend continued to start his rookie year in the NBA, too. Through the first 18 games of his career, he shot a combined five for 19 from three(26.3 percent).

However, he started to let it fly over his last three games for the Raptors. He made 10 of 21 three-point attempts(47.6 percent). These numbers are a remarkable improvement from the skills that the previous lengths of his career would have indicated. It’s great to see Nurse put his faith in Barnes’s ability to shoot and encourage him to let himself loose. It’s also fantastic to see Barnes excel in the process.

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