The Toronto Raptors dropped their third game in their last four on Wednesday night to the Boston Celtics, and fans once again got evidence that RJ Barrett isn’t who he was talked up to be.
Throughout the offseason, others and I had plenty of questions about where Barrett fit with this team at full strength. With Barrett being an inconsistent floor spacer and often a liability defensively, it was hard for a lot of us to envision him scaling down into a smaller role off the ball. But after an incredible performance in Toronto’s seven-game series with Cleveland, it was hard for many fans to accept that he might not be the right fit for this team long-term.
To date, we don’t really have a super large sample of Barrett in a scaled-down role because Kawhi Leonard was sidelined after just two games. What we do have is a sample of him in an elevated role, where he is a priority in opposing teams' scouting reports, and it’s been super ugly. This stretch without Leonard, and now with Scottie Barnes missing time, has only put the flaws in Barrett's game on an even bigger stage.
RJ Barrett's struggles are making his Raptors future difficult to justify
Against Boston, Barrett had 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two turnovers, and three stocks (steals plus blocks) while shooting 5-of-16 from the field and 0-of-2 from three.
I’m not going to sit here and go at Barrett for the number of shots he took, because I honestly wish he shot more. What I am going to get on Barrett about is his shot quality in this game, which has always been a trend for him. Barrett took three turnaround fadeaways in this game, a handful of midrange shots, and forced up shots in extremely difficult situations on drives, all while shooting just two threes. The shots not falling isn't the issue here; it's Barrett's incredibly low three-point rate and his tendency to take bad shots.
All offseason, Barrett was talked about as someone who could be a wing version of Julius Randle during his time with the New York Knicks on nights when the Raptors’ stars need rest. Someone who may not have the prettiest game but can be a floor-raiser when the ball is in his hands and can carry the offensive workload as a scorer and creator when the focus is on him. The start of the season has shown he’s far from that.
His struggles to step up have made it even less reasonable to keep him past the trade deadline, since he already isn’t bringing much value as a three-point shooter or defender. Mind you, if he could bring the perimeter defense he showed last night, holding shooters to 2-of-6 on three-point attempts, then maybe we’re cooking. But I doubt it.
With more and more tape of Barrett operating as a primary scoring option, opposing teams are finding ways to exploit his limitations and make life increasingly difficult for him. Now, to his credit, I really have enjoyed some of the passes he’s making and the ways he’s been operating as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll. But again, how much value does that skill bring when this team is healthy? Not much.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Raptors approach Barrett’s future as the trade deadline gets closer. If Barrett can’t consistently elevate his play without Barnes and Leonard, and he doesn’t have the traits to naturally complement them when this team is at full strength, what exactly is his long-term fit with the Raptors?
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