It will be extremely challenging for the Toronto Raptors to justify an All-Star candidate from their roster, especially given the team's mediocre performance to date, with a record of 9-31, which places them 13th in the Eastern Conference.
Nevertheless, fans have observed in previous years that a team’s losing record doesn’t always diminish an individual’s chances of making the All-Star game, as some stars possess an undeniable case for being included in that weekend's grand showcase. When it comes to the Toronto, the Raptors faithful believe that if anyone on their team had a chance of making the All-Star game, it would be their star forwards Scottie Barnes and hometown hero RJ Barrett.
While it's important not to raise anyone's hopes unduly, the current All-Star voting results that are circulating are concerning, particularly due to the absence of any Raptors players on those lists. Be that as it may, the campaign continues.
Well, here's where the All-Star voting campaign gets a little peculiar for Toronto. The Raptors' social media accounts have been buzzing non-stop about getting their 2024 NBA All-Star, Scottie Barnes, back to the big show. On the other hand, there has been a relative silence regarding the "Maple Mamba," RJ Barrett; in fact, there's been next to nothing in terms of team promotion for him whatsoever.
Would you believe it? There's literally no effort going into a graphic, video package—nada, zip.
Why aren't the Toronto Raptors promoting RJ Barrett for All-Star?
Toronto fans remember that, even when their chances of making it were slim, they still encouraged Raptors nation to help get players like Serge Ibaka and OG Anunoby into the All-Star Game. While the team's performance was significantly better than a meager 9-31 record, you get the point. Raptors social media should be actively supporting their players and encouraging the fanbase to vote for the most deserving candidates, right?
Raptors were out here tweeting Ibaka for the All Star Game and yet we get nothing for RJ... https://t.co/jwiGOUQ9oT
— A$G (@6ixrings_) January 3, 2025
It's certainly odd to see Barrett's own team, a franchise that should be fully supporting his talents, seemingly turn their back on him, much like the mainstream media's history of overlooking him or misrepresenting his abilities.
In his recent stretch of performances, Barrett may have somewhat faltered, reverting to the inconsistent offensive and defensive lapses that occasionally plague his game. But is this truly the reason the team is choosing not to promote his name for All-Star consideration?
Perhaps there is a bigger picture at play here. Is the Raptors front office working on something regarding RJ Barrett that fans may not be aware of? When you consider all factors, it’s important to note that All-Star weekend occurs well after the NBA trade deadline.
Could this suggest that RJ Barrett is headed elsewhere before the All-Star game takes place?
There is certainly a logical explanation to suggest that this is a motivating factor for keeping his name out of the team’s All-Star promotions. Why bother getting him to the game if he won't represent the Toronto Raptors when the weekend finally arrives?
At the time of writing, there haven't been any recent suggestions from NBA insider intel indicating that RJ Barrett's name is being floated by the Raptors in trade discussions, but it isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Before getting too caught up in a world of hypothetical scenarios, it's worth considering that this could simply be an internal matter that doesn’t automatically indicate that Barrett is on the move. Nonetheless, it's still an odd trend that fans on social media have taken note of.
Although the fan vote alone isn't enough to secure a spot for their favorites in the All-Star game, they should still rally the troops and fight to see their hometown player make it into the game, even if the Raptors' social media team isn't feeding into the StaRJ buzz.