Stock up, stock down amid turbulent week of Raptors basketball

Stock up: Scottie Barnes

The Raptors have been gradually letting Barnes grow into a greater role with the team, and he has quickly become one of their most consistent players as a result. Barnes continued to impress with his scoring, but he has taken some huge strides with regards to defense and rebounding.

Barnes averaged 17.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game in his last four contests. Barnes has set a new career-high in rebounds (15) and blocked shots (5) in this span, as the two-way potential Toronto salivated over is started to emerge.

The Toronto Raptors are seeing Scottie Barnes develop.

Barnes has long been a favorite for the Rookie of the Year award, though Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley have started to gain ground on him. Barnes will need a few more strong weeks like this to overcome Mobley’s defensive prowess and Cunningham’s scoring skill.

Barnes may need to work on being a bit more aggressive, as some quiet first halves are often followed by third quarters in which he starts taking more shots. If Barnes can internalize that concept, he should be able to put some distance between the rest of the pack in the Rookie of the Year race.