Scottie Barnes locked down James Harden in pickup and earned props from The Beard

09.08.2022, 11:41 sbnation.com

The NBA is finally experiencing a ‘normal’ offseason after the period between the last two seasons has been accelerated because of the pandemic. This is the first time since the 2019 that there’s been a real down period in the league, and that means a return to the summer workout videos that usually provides the NBA’s only entertainment in August. A few years back, we detailed Ben Simmons ripping jumpers and Anthony Davis handling the ball like a guard in their summer workout videos. That’s partially because summer is a time for experimentation and testing out the boundaries of a player’s skill set. For some players, though, summer runs are about getting back to what you do best. That is certainly the case for reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes as he took part in the famed Rico Hines pickup games in Los Angeles.