The complicated sophomore season of Scottie Barnes: Is he helping the Raptors?

The easiest glimmer of light to find is that as we enter the holiday season is the fact Barnes has played some of the best ball of his career lately. Barnes has topped 20 points four times since November 19 and was one rebound away from piling up five double-doubles in that span.

We can point to the improvements as a jump-shooter, small but undeniable, but even more impressive has been his passing this season. Averaging close to five assists in fewer minutes and more or less the same usage rate as last season, he’s helped give some juice to a largely stagnant offense.

In that game against the Brooklyn Nets, when Siakam was having an off night and Barnes put the team on his back, he went right at Kevin Durant and put up 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. This may have been the best game of Barnes’ young career. We’d never seen him take over and assert himself to that degree.

Scottie Barnes has shown flashes for the Toronto Raptors.

To the fans and members of the media who are quick to turn on Barnes, would you give him a second? He’s 21 years old, getting the short end of an exceptionally flawed basketball team, and still putting up the numbers he is.

Barnes is figuring himself out. He’s had a rocky start to this season, but even through the missteps, he’s had moments of real greatness. Besides, I’d rather him make mistakes as a sophomore and learn from them anyhow. It’s not like the Raptors are competing for a title anyway.

Barnes is about to catch his stride. His doubters will be singing a different tune by the time the season’s over, mark my words.