3 Toronto Raptors that could shock the world this season
By Mike Luciano
1. Scottie Barnes
Barnes went from a Rookie of the Year to somewhat of a punchline among those who don’t observe the Raptors closely, as those critics took aim at his inability to take a step forward on the offensive side of the ball. Will he ever become the superstar Toronto expects he will be?
Barnes certainly has all the tools, and Rajakovic’s expert player development skills might be a better fit for Barnes than the more abrasive Nurse. If Barnes ends up getting the starting point guard job, Scottie’s natural talents will take center stage this season.
The Toronto Raptors will lean on Scottie Barnes.
Barnes has two main goals he needs to accomplish. He won’t be able to reach that All-Star tier the Raptors believe he can reside in regularly without a high-end 3-point shot and the ability to create shots for himself in half-court situations.
If Rajakovic can install an offense similar to what Taylor Jenkins ran in Memphis (all while putting Barnes at the epicenter of his attack), the Florida State product should be able to blow his production from the first two seasons completely out of the water. Room on the Barnes hype train is running out.