JJ Redick has bold take about poor Raptors roster around Scottie Barnes

Before the Toronto Raptors decided on Darko Rajakovic as the person to succeed Nick Nurse as head coach, Masai Ujiri conducted one of the widest-ranging searches for his next golden goose we’ve seen in the last few head coaching cycles. Names like JJ Redick and Steve Nash received legitimate consideration for the job of coaching Scottie Barnes.

While Redick played in the NBA for 15 seasons and has since become one of the more respected analysts over at ESPN, the fact Redick was considered despite lacking any NBA coaching experience was a puzzling move. He didn’t get the job, but he did get an inside look at how the Raptors do business.

Redick came away from his interview with Toronto impressed with Barnes and the idea of what he could be if he hits his peak. On his “Old Man and the Three” podcast, Redick simultaneously praised Barnes as a future star in this league while criticizing the Raptors’ approach to roster building.

“The roster around him is not the ideal fit,” Redick said. “You need players around him that can play with him as a hub…To me, Scottie, he’s a jack-of-all-trades player in some ways, but à la Jokic, Sabonis, to me, [Barnes is] a hub. You need players around him that can play with him as a hub.”

JJ Redick says Scottie Barnes must be a “hub” for the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors have had some success leaning on Barnes this year, as he is averaging 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. The combination of his power in the paint, aggressiveness on the perimeter, and creative playmaking have made it difficult to slow him down.

Redick is correct in saying that what makes Denver’s and Sacramento’s offenses work is the fact they have surrounded their talented big men with tons of shooters. Barnes has OG Anunoby, but both Pascal Siakam and Dennis Schroder have taken giant steps back in this area.

Barnes’ scoring is an impressive aspect of his game, but what makes Jokic the MVP frontrunner once again and Sabonis the key in Sacramento is their playmaking in the paint. Rajakovic can’t turn a blind eye to this development and must lean on him in this area.

Redick is well aware of the shortcomings that Barnes has around him, but he seems to think that one or two schematic tweaks around him could be enough to get the most out of the budding sensation.

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