Going into his first playoff series as the face of the Raptors and the team’s most important player, Scottie Barnes had to answer perhaps the most important question of his career yet: Can he play like a true star at the next level?
The answer was a resounding yes. Barnes played with a different kind of aggressiveness on the offensive end of the floor, taking more shots and scoring over 20 points in six out of seven games. He even shot an uncharacteristically efficient clip from behind the arc, sinking 38.1% of his 3-pointers, and recorded three double-doubles with points and assists.
It was a phenomenal playoff run that introduced him as a franchise star to NBA fans who may not watch the Raptors a ton during the regular season.
Now that he’s answered one question, another one is already looming over his 2026-27 season: Can he play with this kind of force and assertiveness over the course of a whole regular season?
The Raptors will challenge Barnes to bring his playoff performances to the regular season
The expectation in Toronto seems to be that Barnes can sustain this kind of offensive production over a whole season, and they are already challenging him to do just that.
“What you saw was him playing with force on both ends. I think that’s our push for him over the course of 82 games,” Raptors GM Bobby Webster said during his end-of-season media availability. “Really playing with that level of force and engagement for a whole season.”
Darko Rajaković didn’t sound doubtful about Barnes’s ability to sustain this kind of production and underlined that he was only at 58% of his potential.
Jamal Shead voiced a similar sentiment in his own end-of-season availability. The second-year guard said that Barnes had the talent, endurance, and want to play as he did in the playoffs over the course of a whole season. He also noted that he and other teammates would have to hold him accountable and push him to always stay aggressive on the offensive end.
The Raptors may wait for the answer to this question until they make a big move
The Raptors have assets to make a big splash in the offseason—although there are some obstacles to overcome, like Jakob Poeltl’s massive contract that will be difficult to move. But they may wait to cash in on all of their assets until they know whether or not Barnes can carry the offensive force he showed during the playoffs into the regular season and sustain it.
Knowing the answer to this big Scottie Barnes question would help decide what type of player they should go all-in on.
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