The Toronto Raptors will officially be represented at All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City next month.
While Pascal Siakam wasn’t named an All-Star starter for the Eastern Conference last week (but should be named a reserve on Thursday), Scottie Barnes will officially be participating in the festivities.
On Tuesday afternoon, the NBA announced the 28 players who will be participating in the mini-tournament consisting of NBA sophomores, rookies, and G League standouts. Rightfully, Scottie Barnes was included in the pool of players alongside sophomores like Josh Giddey, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Green.
The NBA announced today the 28 players who have earned spots to compete in the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 31, 2023
The player pool consists of 11 NBA rookies, 10 second-year NBA players and seven NBA G League players. pic.twitter.com/hxlHTYd0OT
Raptors sophomore Scottie Barnes invited to Jordan Rising Stars
While the team’s performance has been lackluster all season long, Barnes has been a bright spot in his second year. The 21-year-old has appeared in 49 games this season, averaging 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game through Monday.
The accolade comes nine months after Barnes was named the 2021-22 Kia Rookie of the Year last season. Barnes has been up and down this season, but it looks like he is starting to turn a corner and look more like the player fans are used to seeing.
Scottie has been hitting a particularly high stride in January, complete with an offensive burst that the NBA world has been noticing.
18.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists (1.7 TOs) over the last 14 games for Scottie Barnes, btw.
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) January 20, 2023
Not much joy in RaptorLand right now, but nice to see him turning up.
The versatility that Barnes brings to the squad can’t be understated, even if there are questions that the current roster may not be getting utilized properly. At All-Star Weekend, he’ll have a chance to showcase his all-around game on a national stage — something the Raptors don’t get to experience very often.
The three-game tournament is set to air on Friday, February 17th, 2023 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT, and will officially tip off a weekend full of All-Star activities. You can find more information on the tournament, such as its format and history, on this official page from the NBA.
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