The Toronto Raptors have to consider themselves one extremely lucky franchise. They went from taking a bit of a gamble on Scottie Barmes to reaping the rewards and accolades that come with drafting a Rookie of the Year performer. Barnes is now the centerpiece of Toronto’s future.
Barnes not only won Rookie of the Year, but he did it in style for a playoff team. Averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game as a 20-year-old puts him in a completely different category when compared to the rest of the standout youngsters in the NBA.
The Raptors are not going to wait for Barnes to keep growing out of an abundance of patience within the next two seasons. Toronto has a very clear window opening up, and it’s incumbent on Barnes to make the necessary adjustments to take that enticing next step forward.
Barnes making All-NBA next year or the year after that will certainly be surprising, but he was picked as high as he was with the expectations that he could end up with some special accolades in the right situation. He still needs to make these improvements before he can be trusted to be an elite NBA presence.
Toronto Raptors: 3 improvements Scottie Barnes must make.
3. Defensive awareness
The Raptors gave Barnes a crash course in one of the sport’s most unusual and complex defensive schemes. While this will help him get a quick education that will serve him well down the line, it made the standout defender look a bit puzzled at times during the season.
Such lapses were to be expected for a rookie, but that didn’t make them any less impactful on the game. With the physical traits that Masai Ujiri covets from a defender and some success on-ball last year, some enhanced familiarity with the system should produce better off-ball results.
The Toronto Raptors are counting on better D from Scottie Barnes.
Being called a “positionless” defender has often been misapplied in the last few years, but Barnes is one of a handful of players with the athleticism to fulfill that role. Toronto is going to be less willing to put up with growing pains now that they are an established contending team.
Someone like OG Anunoby, or even a Draymond Green type if Barnes really hits his stride, could be a good role model to follow in terms of becoming an impact defender. Defending James Harden and Joel Embiid in the same game is a tall order, but Toronto wouldn’t have taken Barnes if they didn’t think he could do it.
2. Isolation scoring
Barnes was a more impressive overall scorer than many anticipated during his first season, but even his biggest fans will acknowledge how many of his points came from putbacks and transition opportunities. The next stage in his evolution as a player will come with the ball in his hands.
Barnes only took 11% of his shots last year in isolation situations and 10% of his shots in post-ups. This may have been wise from a planning point of view, as Barnes averaged fewer than a point per possession on these shots. That trend simply can’t continue next year.
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes must improve as an overall scorer.
Barnes’ mid-range game was exemplary for a young player, as was his ability to handle the ball and create space for himself. The tools are there, and Barens certainly does not lack confidence in his ability. It’s incumbent on Nick Nurse to ensure Barnes is not frozen out of the gameplan.
Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam can make up for things offensively in the short-term, but Toronto will expect Barnes to be the leader on offense as age starts to befall both members of that dynamic duo gradually. Getting to that point will take time, but the first stepping stone in that path will come this season.
1. Shooting
Barnes is obviously a gifted player on both sides, but he was regarded as an overwhelmingly poor shooter when he came into the league last season. Shooting 30% on just over two attempts per game from deep was regarded by many as a huge success.
Barnes has not been taking his offseason work lightly, as he has been spotted taking games over at the Rico Hines runs. Considering how many poor shooters Nick Nurse has turned into respectable gunners at the professional level, getting Barnes (who has nice mechanics) into a groove shouldn’t be a problem.
Scottie Barnes needs to step up as a shooter.
Even if Barnes takes it slow and gradually evolves into a 35% shooter during this season, that will bump his scoring up and make it easier for Toronto’s offense to find that extra gear against elite competition. Doubling Siakam inside and packing the paint will be a thing of the past if Barnes becomes a viable threat.
Be it as a catch-and-shoot gunner or a pull-up specialist, Barnes needs to find some area as a shooter in which he excels next season. Barnes hasn’t disappointed Toronto yet, but it might be just a bit worrisome if he ends up flatlining in this area of his development.