Scottie Barnes Could be the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year

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Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

The consensus viewpoint seems to hold that Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder center, is the only player in with a realistic chance of beating out Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs for the NBA’s 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year award. The betting market feels that way, for one, as do the majority of pundits.

As the most impactful defensive player on by far the best defensive team in the league, Holmgren’s case as chief runner-up is extremely strong. Fair enough. But for as much defensive range as he has, Holmgren does not have the same defensive versatility that Toronto Raptors do-it-all star Scottie Barnes does. Indeed, no one does. Not even Wemby.

With his size, length, mobility, awareness, instincts and footwork, Scottie Barnes has a defensive versatility like no other. And perhaps like none since the prime years of his namesake, Mr Pippen.

Barnes Really Does Do It All

Standing 6’9 with arms like Mr Tickle, Barnes brings a combination of length, athleticism and basketball intelligence that allows him to affect the game in multiple ways on defense, and across all match-ups. The Raptors play a variety of defensive assignments without a traditional rim-protecting big man aside from Jakob Poeltl, who has missed more than half the season – this both gives Barnes the opportunity to, and requires him to, cover ground all over the court.

As ever, defensive impact in basketball is hard to capture statistically. But in all the classic ways, Barnes is in the box score. He contributes steals, blocks and boards in the stat line, along with help defense and on-ball stops in significant moments through the eye test. Barnes is second in the NBA in total “stocks” (steals plus blocks), behind only Wembanyama, and ranks high in deflections and clutch defensive plays, all of which are important metrics in evaluating defensive impact. And yet none of them are enough to demonstrate the extent of his versatility.

Part of Barnes’ Defensive Player of the Year case comes from how the Raptors perform on that end with him on the floor. Toronto’s defense has climbed into the top tier of the league this season, currently as high as sixth in the NBA in defensive rating, and his ability to guard multiple positions is a major reason why. He can defend wings, forwards and bigs when necessary, offering the best rim protection on the team while also able to get low and inhibit perimeter players from Kevin Durant to Kevin Porter. Holmgren can only do some of that.

Fortune Favors The Seven Footer

The Raptors been notably strong in clutch possessions, with the best clutch defense in the NBA, allowing just 98.0 points per 100 possessions with Barnes frequently making key plays in tight situations. He leads the league in “clutch blocks”, highlighting his ability to make impactful plays when the outcome of a game is on the line. On a better team, this would be noticed more. It is nonetheless still getting some recognition, as Barnes was named Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for the season’s first month and a half.

The annual Defensive Player of the Year discussion typically gravitates toward traditional rim protectors who accumulate blocks and alter shots at the basket. Players such as Wembanyama and Holmgren are often favorites because of their shot-blocking and paint deterrence, and because their status as anomalies given their immense length cannot help but draw the eye. Someone as strong as an ox like Barnes is penalized slightly by the eye test, and also unfairly.

Nevertheless, fans, media and coaches alike should all be credited for seeing beyond that. Top two in the league in stocks, helping the Raptors become a top defensive unit with an unconventional lineup – and, really, how many other good defensive players do the Raptors have? Three, maybe? – significantly strengthen Barnes’s candidacy. His ability to influence every facet of defense from help rotations across the back to picking up ball-handlers out front places him among the most complete defenders in the NBA today, or indeed any day.

If he continues this level of play and remains available for the full season, it is realistic to view Barnes as a legitimate contender for Defensive Player of the Year. Put it this way – if placed in a laboratory and given the power to improve Scottie Barnes as a defensive player, what could you actually do?

Mark Deeks I am continuously intrigued by the esoterica and minutiae of all the aspects of building a basketball team. I want to understand how to build the best basketball teams possible. No, I don’t know why, either. More about Mark Deeks