3 Raptors under the most pressure in the 2023-24 season
By Mike Luciano
1. Scottie Barnes
The time for development is nearing an end. Barnes has been talked up as a bottomless reservoir of talent in the last few years, but he needs to start turning that into tangible on-court production. Will he be able to do so in what could be his final season before asking for an extension?
Barnes can do so many things well, but he won’t be able to emerge as a franchise player until he can take that next step as a scorer. Due to his draft status and the status of the roster around him, Barnes can’t be afforded too much leniency as he tries to assume the role of a primary attacker.
Will Scottie Barnes be a quality offensive player for the Toronto Raptors?
Barnes looked refreshed and ready to go on the hunt in his 2023 debut, as he is now up to 240 pounds and is fearlessly attacking the basket. Even with his expertise in that area, it will be his ability to shoot from 3-point range that determines exactly what his ceiling will look like.
Suppose he starts off shooting well from deep. In that case, Ujiri would be singing songs and dancing around the office. If he struggles, one has to be concerned and start worrying about exactly how high his ceiling is on the offensive side of the ball.