If you were one of the people who, in the moment, were thrilled with the Toronto Raptors selecting Scottie Barnes with the fourth overall pick — I tip my hat to you. History is going to treat you well. The rest of us might be fudging facts when we look back at the 2021 draft and our gut reactions.
In that summer moment, it felt like there was a different collective reaction — mostly centred around the word ‘huh’. The 2021 NBA Draft was set up as one with four players standing above the rest — Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs.