RJ Barrett has missed 23 games for the Toronto Raptors this season.
In those 23 games, the Raptors have gone an unimpressive 11-12. It is clear that when Barrett sits, the team misses his ability to generate offense and apply pressure at the rim. But when Barrett is healthy, is Toronto maximizing his ability to handle the ball and create his own offense as efficiently as possible? If Barrett were to come off the bench, could that actually help balance this roster?
No one is questioning RJ Barrett’s overall value
This is not an indictment of Barrett. He is one of the five most important players on this team and should be playing 30+ minutes a night. However, bringing Barrett off the bench could put both him and the Raptors in a better position to succeed.
Right now, Toronto’s healthy starting lineup features three wings capable of scoring 20 or more points a night: Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Brandon Ingram. On paper, that looks ideal. In practice, early-game possessions can feel crowded, making it difficult for all three, along with Immanuel Quickley, to establish rhythm.
Now imagine Barrett checking in for Barnes or Ingram with six minutes left in the first quarter. He is fresh, the opposing defense is already tired, and bench players are about to enter the game. That scenario might be the best way to unlock Barrett’s downhill scoring and playmaking.
RJ Barrett–led bench lineups have worked this season
We are about halfway through the season, giving Toronto enough data to identify lineup trends and evaluate how the Raptors perform when Barrett is on the floor without the team’s other offensive engines.
When RJ Barrett is on the floor and…
Brandon Ingram and Immnauel Quickley are off:
In 52 minutes, the Raptors have outscored opponents by 15.86 points per 100 possessions.
Scottie Barnes and Quickley are off:
In 46 minutes, the Raptors have outscored opponents by 6.79 points per 100 possessions.
Barnes and Ingram are off:
In 75 minutes, the Raptors have been outscored by 2.0 points per 100 possessions.
Barnes, Ingram, and Quickley are all off:
In 10 minutes, the Raptors have outscored opponents by 33.2 points per 100 possessions.
Is this a small sample? Absolutely. One of these lineup combinations has been outscored in limited minutes, but the broader trend is clear. Barrett-led units have shown they are more than capable of outscoring opponents, even without Toronto’s other top players on the floor.
Toronto already has a natural “fifth starter”
Ideally, a team’s fifth starter should not command heavy offensive usage. Instead, that player should be comfortable defending difficult assignments and spacing the floor, allowing the team’s primary creators to conserve energy on defense and operate with more space on offense.
Ja’Kobe Walter fits that description well. He has taken on the opponent’s toughest perimeter matchup and has knocked down a reliable 35.7 percent of his three-point attempts this season. His game is built around defense, effort, and taking open shots within the flow of the offense.
Barrett is clearly talented enough to start in the NBA. However, swapping Barrett for Walter could give Barrett more offensive touches off the bench, while allowing Walter to focus on defense and spacing.
Should the Raptors try it?
The question is not whether Barrett is good enough to start. He clearly is. The question is whether this roster is best optimized when Barrett is leading the second unit. If that adjustment unlocks a more balanced offense and cleaner rotations, it may be worth exploring.