3 genius adjustments from Nick Nurse that saved Raptors season

1. Unleashing Scottie Barnes at point guard

The injuries to VanVleet and Flynn have made it difficult for Nurse to get consistent production out of the point guard spot. Barnes was adept at handling the ball and setting his teammates up in college, so Nurse decided to create a futuristic point forward that sets the half-court offense up.

Barnes’ excellent passing and improved offensive confidence have helped him become one of the most unique primary ball-handlers in the game. Too strong for defenders to bully at the perimeter and too quick for guards to speed by on defense, very few teams across the league have a player that can provide a facsimile of Barnes’ skillset.

No wonder so many great players are singing his praises.

Toronto Raptors: Nick Nurse is leaning heavily on Scottie Barnes

Barnes is nowhere near the caliber of shooter VanVleet is, and that places a hard cap on how effective this formation could be in the long run. Even with those concerns, the sight of a 6-8, 220-pound point guard screaming down the lane and causing havoc on defense can speed up even veteran perimeter players.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and Nick Nurse decided that the best way to replace VanVleet was giving his freshly gifted young star the ball as often as possible. While Barnes might be best served in his usual power forward-esque role, throwing him at PG is a nice change of pace.