NBA Draft: Scottie Barnes could be the Pelicans’ Draymond Green

New Orleans Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Scottie Barnes

Barnes is a 6-foot-9 227 lb. combo forward from Florida State who has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a knack for defense and playmaking.

He can defend 1-5 and be a disruptive force getting his hands on the ball for deflections and generally making things difficult on the other team.

He gets a lot of steals and knows what to do with it once he does, as he is a good finisher in transition:

Barnes is a plus playmaker and one of the better passing forwards in the draft, as he often played point guard at Florida State in his freshman season and averaged 4.1 assists per game.

His defensive versatility and playmaking are why he draws comparisons to Draymond Green but Barnes also compares to Green in his long-range shooting, which is not good.

Barnes shot just 27.5 percent from 3-point range and just 62 percent from the line, so he is not going to help the Pelicans’ shooting problems. But like Green, he could help them in a number of other areas, including helping to get his teammates easier shots.