That’s A Rap #173: Barnes, Brooklyn, and Boo-urns!

As the NBA season winds down to the final four weeks, some things are coming into focus.

The evolution of Scottie Barnes and his superstar prototype/comparison is becoming clear. The Toronto Raptors may already have an idea of who they’re facing in the post-season. Ben Simmons, unsurprisingly, is the most hated man in Philadelphia.

What’s also clear is that some former Raptors are apparently Raptors for life, as seen on the latest episode of How Hungry Are You?, with DeMar DeRozan as Serge Ibaka’s guest.

There were lots of interesting points made, so make sure to chime in with your thoughts/comments below. For now, enjoy the latest episode of That’s A Rap!

In This Episode:

17:30 — Barnes Propaganda

Scottie Barnes has comparable, and in some areas better, numbers than Giannis Antetokounmpo at the same age. Considering Barnes has gotten off to a hotter start to his career and has a much more NBA-ready body than Giannis had, is the excitement around Giannis 2.0 justified?

27:38 — Play-In Opponents

Let’s be real, all the signs are pointing to a new chapter being added to the Toronto-Brooklyn post-season rivalry. Will Kyrie Irving be eligible to play in either location? Will Ben Simmons have enough time to build any chemistry with his new team (let alone play)? If Toronto were to lose, should they worry about a win-or-go-home game against Atlanta or Charlotte?

40:35 — Boo-urns

Ben Simmons’ return to Philadelphia was, as expected, met with a chorus of boos. While he didn’t play, Simmons got the last laugh as his Nets blew out his former team. The more important question is, where does that boo-ing performance rank among the all-time loudest instances? How is it that Toronto’s name appears more than once in said rankings?