The Serbian coach considers the 2-time All-Star the cornerstone of the Canadian franchise, the player who allows him to coach according to his philosophy — much like Jordan did for Phil Jackson’s famous “triangle offense” with the iconic Chicago Bulls.
“All the greatest coaches in the game have been fantastic thinkers, philosophers, workers and everything else, but none of them became one of the all-time greats without having a great player. And I think that applies at every level, whether it’s the EuroLeague, the NBA… Phil Jackson wouldn’t have been Phil Jackson without Michael Jordan.
My Michael Jordan is Scottie Barnes. He’s a fantastic person, a young guy with a big heart, a hard worker, and I’m really grateful for him.
He represents everything I’m looking for in a basketball player. He’s one of the very few players in the entire NBA at that level — an All-Star, a franchise player — who is always ready to pick up full-court, who really prioritizes defense, with defense as his first concern. That makes my job a lot easier.
He’s different from the typical NBA star. He has different priorities and does different things on the court.
I’m aware that I wouldn’t be helping the team by asking him to do things outside of my philosophy, or things that players don’t enjoy doing. So I have to say thank you to Scottie Barnes, and not only to him, but to the entire group of players who have that kind of character, guys who are always willing to get their hands dirty and do even the toughest things in order to win. I’m extremely grateful to be able to count on guys like that.”
The Raptors, as is often the case, receive little coverage from the major media outlets, and are therefore frequently underestimated.
Barnes and Co. won 46 games last season, 16 more than the previous year. And now, barring any surprises, they will also be adding a certain Kawhi Leonard back into the mix.
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