Scottie Barnes is no joke: The Raptors' remarkable rookie is everything, everywhere, all at once

Toronto's Rookie of the Year candidate brings a blend of poise, pep and promise

Twenty years old, 11 days into his rookie season, up by one, 6.4 on the clock, Scottie Barnes walked to the free-throw line in Indianapolis. He heard boos and thundersticks. 

It was Barnes' second road game as a member of the Toronto Raptors. He'd missed three of his four free-throw attempts. If he was feeling any nerves whatsoever, he had a strange way of showing it. 

"He had game-winning free throws the other night and he was laughing," Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet says at a morning shootaround at Madison Square Garden. "He's just having fun. He doesn't even understand the gravity of what we're doing. He's just a kid in a candy store. His dream is to be in the NBA. He's here. He's a top-four pick. And he's been a breath of fresh air."