Stock up, Stock down as Raptors finally return to full health

Stock Down: Scottie Barnes

Barnes has been an influential player this year, as he is a better playmaker and shooter than what we saw during his impressive rookie season. However, some of the issues that were holding him back early in the season have reappeared. When paired with some lackluster effort over the last few games, his stats haven’t been great.

Barnes has made just six shots from the field in his last two games while turning the ball over five times. Despite the fact that the Pelicans were blowing Toronto out, Nick Nurse kept Barnes on the bench for almost the entire second half while Siakam and O.G. Anunoby made a run. The vibes around Barnes appear to be slightly off.

Scottie Barnes must get back on track for the Toronto Raptors.

The lack of efficiency has been startling, as has Barnes’ over-reliance on shooting 3-pointers when he was a monster in the paint last year. Being a top-shelf athlete doesn’t mean anything if all you’re going to do is sit around the 3-point line and chuck up triples.

Barnes is too talented and the Raptors are too optimistic about his future to let him waste away. If he’s still not over his injuries, that’s one thing. If it’s something mental or an incongruous fit in Toronto’s scheme, Nurse and the franchise need to get that fixed ASAP.