RJ Barrett is working hard this season to change the narrative around his NBA reputation, which took a hit during his time with the New York Knicks. He demonstrated last season, albeit with a small sample size, that Toronto could be the place where he tapped into potential that he didn’t fully reveal in "The Big Apple." As the 2024-25 season unfolded, Barrett picked up right where he left off.
The "Maple Mamba" has been one of the Raptors' most reliable offensive players throughout the year, and his improvements in various aspects of his game have made Barrett a much more well-rounded wing player.
In my last article, I wrote about how Raptors legend Vince Carter praised Scottie Barnes, likening his game to a Nikola Jokic-style player. During that same conversation, Carter also highlighted RJ Barrett's exceptional commitment to honing his skills.
Carter mentioned during the Sportsnet broadcast on March 30: "RJ [Barrett] has focused more on that [playmaking] since he's been there in Toronto... Overall game has flourished."
RJ Barrett's improved playmaking deserves a ton of praise
And it is Barrett's improved effort in the playmaking department that might be his claim to fame for the 2024-25 NBA season. Despite being the Raptors' primary scoring option on many nights throughout the year, the 24-year-old Toronto native showed he could still involve his teammates accordingly in the offense with his superb playmaking vision.
Barrett is averaging a career-high 5.6 assists per game. In fact, his ability to dish the rock at an elite level as a wing player, no less, has thrust him into elite small forward company, as one of the three players to record 300+ assists this season. Who are the other two small forwards in this statistical category? Ex-Raptors star DeMar DeRozan and one of the sport’s all-time greats (if not the GOAT himself), LeBron James.
DeRozan has racked up 305 assists in the 2024-25 season, playing 70 games for the Sacramento Kings so far. Meanwhile, James has piled up an impressive 533 assists in just 63 games for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Barrett edges out DeRozan by one assist, with 306 for the Toronto Raptors in 55 games played so far in 2024-25.
It says a lot to be in this elite group with James and a guy like DeRozan, whose game I see Barrett mirroring in a lot of ways. Two players who thrive inside, aren’t the best shooters out there, aren’t top-tier wing defenders, but have grown into darn good playmakers and can light up the scoreboard on any given night.
Barrett might be a polarizing figure in the Raptors community, but he works hard to stand out, even when people doubt his skills or lack faith in his growth. He’s still young, and there could be another layer to his playmaking that’s yet to come out. Being mentioned alongside legends like LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan should only push RJ Barrett to keep carving his name among the elite in his group.
As Vince Carter said on the Sportsnet broadcast: "If they can put that together [referring to Barnes and Barrett's skillsets combined], add some pieces, look out for this team in the future."