The general feelings among Toronto Raptors fans when the team surprisingly selected Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft this summer ranged from shock to bewilderment. Most draft boards had Toronto picking polished point guard Jalen Suggs as a successor to Kyle Lowry.
But it hasn’t taken long for Barnes to win over Toronto fans. From his infectious smile to his ‘win at all costs’ attitude on the court, Barnes has a lot going for him in that department.
His Summer League stint alone was enough to convince Raptors fans that he is worth keeping around, as he paired some dominant defensive performances with the growth as an offensive player that fans want to see. He’s wasted no time getting himself ingrained within the local community on social media.
He took it up another notch, however, when he hit the streets of downtown T.O. with a handful of new teammates this week, and took fans along for the ride on Instagram Live.
Toronto newcomers Freddie Gillespie, who played 20 games with the team’s Tampa incarnation last season, Sam Dekker, Ishmail Wainwright, and yes, even Goran Dragic were pounding the pavement in ‘The Six’, while fans welcomed them all to the city.
Scottie Barnes winning Raptors fans over with his IG Live streams
Close to 3,000 fans were said to be tuned in, some of them stunned that Dragic—who had originally balked at coming to Toronto—was in town and living it up.
Those watching on IG Live also got a scoop: Dekker broke the news that Barnes will be throwing out the first pitch at the Toronto Blue Jays’ game on Friday night.
Roaming around the financial district and taking to Instagram Live isn’t really what’s going to ingratiate Barnes with Raptors fans. It’s all going to happen on the court. He began the process with his impressive performance in Vegas, and then proceeded to try his hand playing ‘D’ in summer workouts with NBA stars.
This absolute lockdown on Donovan Mitchell has Toronto fans salivating. If he ever gets his jump shot fixed to the point where he could be a primary or secondary scorer, the sky is the limit for his potential.
Scottie Barnes is going to piss off a lot of guys in the NBA. This is a good thing and a compliment. Love the way he plays.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 12, 2021
Barnes’ elite defence, passing skills, and high basketball IQ will be the key factors in making No. 4 an immediate Raptors fan favourite. And yes, he even ‘wins at all costs’ on social media, too.