It's great to see the Raptors back in the win column after a challenging start to December, securing two tough, hard-fought victories against the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks. As I recently discussed in a previous piece, it's been encouraging to observe an uptick in Brandon Ingram's efficiency, hustle, and effort. After some standout moments during the Raptors' strong November run, he initially appeared to be trending toward a decline, but that trend has now shifted.
Ingram continues to dazzle this month, given his sound efforts in the December 18 affair against Milwaukee. There, the "Notorious B.I.3" was able to provide the Raptors with 29 points on 9-for-18 shooting, a steady 4-for-6 from three, going 7-for-8 from the free throw line, along with eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Likewise, we cannot forget about the Raptors do-it-all ace and defensive standout, Scottie Barnes, who also gave Toronto a huge boost in that Milwaukee win. Barnes recorded 24 points on 10-for-14 field goal shooting, going 2-for-3 from deep, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Barnes did have a bit of a rough spell with five turnovers against the Bucks, but he stood his ground in that affair nonetheless.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic discussed the efforts of Toronto's star duo in the post-game media scrum on December 18, where he said the following (YouTube link here):
Ingram and Barnes proving their All-Star worth as Raptors' top powers
"... Brandon [Ingram] was great on both ends of the floor. His rebounding was great. He was able to score. He was aggressive and getting to the free throw line. I do think that, he should be getting even more free throws to be honest with you. Scottie's [Barnes] energy at the start of the game was unbelievable. His communication, the wayDarko Rajakovic on Ingram and Barnes
he was helping teammates was unbelievable."
As I mentioned earlier regarding Brandon Ingram's troubling start to the December campaign, along with an already struggling stretch for Toronto as a team, there appeared to be a negative shift in overall synergy. The Ingram/Barnes pairing has looked promising so far in the 2025-26 sample. However, as with any new duo, some growing pains are inevitable.
Now is a crucial time as any, seeing as the 2026 NBA All-Star voting has opened for fans, players, and media to let their voices be heard. If Toronto can continue to establish themselves as a formidable Eastern Conference threat, there's a strong chance that one or even multiple Raptors players will be recognized and named during that weekend's grand festivities.
There's no doubt in my mind — as I believe it's the same for others in Raptors Nation — that Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram are central to those discussions. Instead of forcing to pick one or having only one stand out, if this star duo can continue to build on each other effectively, elevate the surrounding team cohesively, and establish themselves as a top East pairing, then their case will become undeniable. It would also be fantastic for Toronto to have two All-Stars for the first time since the 2019-20 season, when Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam received the honors.