Man, I feel like I always get a sense of a clouded reality when the year winds down, because what do you mean 2025 is already coming to an end? It honestly feels like just yesterday that the year started, and here we are, about to welcome in the new year of 2026. In the spirit of Raptors basketball, I thought it would be a great time to give out some report cards to each of the team's starters and the key pieces who have emerged off the bench.
While this is a 2025 year-end report card, I will not be covering what they did in the 2024-25 campaign (maybe just in passing), as I have already essentially given my 'grades' during that season and the recent postseason. The purpose of these report cards is to evaluate how the players have performed in the 2025-26 season so far, with enough sample size to make assessments. At the time of writing, the team has already played 34 games, and I will look at their next steps, how they project to perform going into 2026, and more.
And first up to the stage is Scottie Barnes.
I don't think there's ever a year when some level of judgment isn't cast in Barnes' direction, considering he's been subject to ongoing critiques since he became the Raptors' franchise player. However, despite hearing the same criticisms, including recently, you cannot deny the significant impacts and improvements Scottie Barnes has shown in just this three-month span to start the 2025-26 season.
How has Scottie Barnes' season shaped up to this year-end point?
Barnes has been fortunate enough to play in all 34 Raptors games to date, where he has showcased his talent across all aspects of the game. He is averaging 19.1 points on 50.5 percent shooting from the field, 35.7 percent from three, and a career-best 83.1 percent from the free throw line. He also boasts a career-high 8.5 rebounds, along with 5.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, in an average of 34.1 minutes of action.
A casual onlooker might interpret these numbers at face value and think that Barnes, who has seemingly hovered around these stats — at least in scoring — for most of his career, has hit a plateau of sorts. However, the defensive improvements, better free throw shooting, along with a more polished three-point shot and greater consistency, all indicate progress. His tremendous impact as the Raptors’ leader (like we just saw against Golden State and Orlando), despite some previous setbacks, also speaks to the brilliance of Scottie Barnes in the 2025-26 campaign.
Barnes was crowned the NBA's Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for the October/November period after emerging as a key part of the Raptors' turnaround. He helped transform their measly start into a dominant nine-game winning streak and contributed to an overall 12-3 record in November. Just the other day, we saw Barnes deliver arguably his best NBA performance to date, with a historic triple-double consisting of 23 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Golden State Warriors.
For Barnes, he is still a work in progress at just 24 years old. However, the signs that he is finally becoming the well-rounded and refined player Raptors fans knew he would be, are proof that he will be a consistent star for the franchise for years to come. Speaking of stars, Barnes’s next goal is to leave no doubt about his worthiness for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. Although he was surprisingly absent from the first set of fan votes, there is no question that, aside from Brandon Ingram — whom he might narrowly surpass as deserving — if the Raptors continue to sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
They will need adequate representation in Los Angeles for the festivities, and Scottie B. should definitely be recognized as such.
Grade: A
*All stats courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com, unless otherwise noted