As the United States Senior National Team roster began to be revealed for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in August, it was clear the plan was to start grooming the young, up-and-coming talent in the league.
Headlined by recent No. 1 overall picks like Anthony Edwards and Paolo Banchero, the average age of the roster that Team USA will send to the FIBA World Cup is only 24.4 years young. Josh Hart and Bobby Portis are the oldest players on the team at 28, while Banchero is the youngest at 20.
And although USA Basketball has made a commitment to the youth movement, it couldn't help but feel like there were a few rising stars who were missing from the roster.
One is the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year and Raptors franchise cornerstone, Scottie Barnes.
Once the 12-man Senior National Team roster was finalized, there was still hope that Barnes' name would pop up on the Select Team that attends Team USA training camp in Las Vegas.
Team USA training camp is an incredible opportunity for young prospects to spend time in the gym with some of the best players, coaches and trainers in the league, going head-to-head in a competitive environment before the next NBA season starts.
When the 14-man Select Team was revealed, Barnes' name was absent from that roster as well.
Headlined by players like Cade Cunningham and Chet Holmgren, there was still plenty of young talent on the list. However, USA Basketball also elected to invite some NBA and G League veterans to round out the roster, taking up a few potential spots for other 20-year-olds to fill.
To be clear, there has been no indication of whether or not Barnes was invited to participate on either the Senior National Team or the Select Team. There is a chance he was invited to either, or both, and elected to pass. There is also a chance he was not invited at all.
It's also worth noting that he is not the only rising star who is absent from both rosters. Players like LaMelo Ball, Evan Mobley, Tyrese Maxey and Tyler Herro are other sub-25-year-olds who are not listed.
But with Barnes coming off of a plateauing sophomore NBA season, it would have been nice to see him participate in one of the best development camps basketball has to offer over the summer.
Barnes burst onto the scene during his rookie season but he didn't exactly take a step forward in Year 2. It was a season of ups and downs, showing progress in some areas while regressing in others.
He showed growth as a passer and decision-maker, given more opportunities to run the offense through his hands. But his scoring average was identical to his first season and his shooting splits were more inefficient in his second year, losing complete confidence in his jumpshot at times.
| Rookie Season | Sophomore Season | |
| 15.3 | PPG | 15.3 |
| 7.5 | RPG | 6.6 |
| 3.5 | APG | 4.8 |
| 1.1 | SPG | 1.1 |
| 0.7 | BPG | 0.8 |
| 1.8 | TOV | 2.0 |
| 49.2 | FG% | 45.6 |
| 30.1 | 3P% | 28.1 |
| 73.5 | FT% | 77.2 |
During his end-of-season interview, Barnes didn't pinpoint a specific area when he was first asked what he's looking to improve on.
"Really just keep working on everything," he told the media. "Ball handling, shooting, a lot of skill work, conditioning. Keep working on my body, trying to get stronger. Everything."
After a little more prodding from the media, he mentioned things like making counter moves to score, getting to the free throw line, working on his catch-and-shoot game and being more aggressive on the offensive end as a whole.
His former head coach Nick Nurse had a similar offseason workout plan in mind, saying, "We like a lot of things about him, a lot about his approach. He’s competitive. He’s big. He’s strong. He loves to play.
"Those skills and things, I think, are what he has to continue to work on and improve. You know how it is: If you’re gonna be an All-Star or a great player in this league, you’ve got to score.”
Darko Rajakovic has taken over the Raptors' head coaching role since then, but it feels safe to say Nurse's sentiment on Barnes is echoed throughout the entire franchise.
Barnes has been working on his skills in the gym this offseason, and Toronto will need a bounce-back Year 3 from its franchise cornerstone if the team is going to be in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Even still, it feels like a missed opportunity that he will not be participating with USA Basketball in any form when training camp tips off on Aug. 3.
