Raptors News: Barnes earns award, player retained on second 10-day, four straight W's

January has been good to the Toronto Raptors, eh?

One could argue that the developments and poise shown by the squad this month essentially eclipse what was a tumultuous stretch from October to December. Effort looks good, the boys are sharp (we'll get to a very specific stellar Raptor shortly), and the vibes, man... they're vibin'.

In the midst of a terrific month for the Toronto Raptors, there are bound to be new updates regarding the Northern juggernaut, and that's exactly what we're going to cover.

Let's dive right in and take a look, folks!

Scottie Barnes earns NBA Player of the Week award

It's ya boy, Scottie B, who is your NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

The Raptors' star forward's efforts were recognized after a strong campaign in Week 14 of NBA action, during which he averaged 22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.

The award is Barnes' first accolade of this kind in his four-season-long NBA career thus far. He is also the first Raptors player to earn Player of the Week honors since Pascal Siakam during the week of December 19-25 in the 2022-23 season.

Player of the Week is certainly a timely feat, but Barnes' recent strides in his game indicate he's only headed upwards from here. He is anchoring the defense with lockdown clamps, finding his touch around the basket again, and continuing to play an unselfish style of basketball that showcases effort across all ends of the floor.

Barnes' stellar play has even garnered an endorsement from legend Charles Barkley, who shouted out the Raptors' star during a TNT broadcast of Inside the NBA not too long ago.

While his three-point shot continues to indicate a need for additional work, Barnes hasn't shown fear in letting the ball fly, albeit with mixed results.

On the season, Barnes' statistical averages are as follows: 20.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game.

Raptors sign Orlando Robinson to a second 10-day contract

ORob is running it back.

The Toronto Raptors announced in the afternoon of January 28 that they were signing center Orlando Robinson to a second 10-day deal, with the exact financial details of this contract withheld from disclosure.

In three games during his first 10-day stint with Toronto, Robinson posted averages of 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11 minutes of action. Undoubtedly his coming out party was a 21 minute outing vs. Atlanta on January 25, where he posted a great plus/minus for Toronto and proved to be a defensive anchor in the paint.

Robinson is not the most polished big in the world, but he certainly has a wealth of potential to provide Toronto given the right circumstances. Clearly, the Raptors' front office thinks alike, and it's a pleasant sight to see him being given a second chance to prove his worth in the Six.

At the conclusion of this second 10-day contract, the Raptors will no longer be able to continue offering deals of this nature, and they'll need to decide whether Robinson will be signed to a standard contract moving forward.

The wins keep on piling up for Toronto

To tank or not to tank; that is the question.

Well, it looks like the Raptors can't really control their tank right about now because Toronto is currently riding a wave of four straight victories after toppling the New Orleans Pelicans on January 27.

Toronto looked dominant in the first half against NOLA; however, the game would inch a little bit closer in the second half as the Pels began to find their rhythm. The Raptors were able to stifle that momentum, though, ultimately winning another game with a final tally of 104-113.

It's the Raptors' first four-game winning streak in nearly two years, with the last stretch occurring between February 12 and February 25 of 2023.

The next two-game slate for Toronto presents further winnable challenges against the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls, respectively, before heading back to dangerous territory against teams like the Clippers, Knicks, Grizzlies, and Thunder.

Wins racking up is certainly good for morale, but the Raptors' easy schedule does present challenges for their draft odds, which could see Toronto slip down the totem pole in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.