RJ Barrett entered the Raptors’ first-round series as one of the few players on the roster who had a bunch of playoff games under his belt and had won a series before coming to Toronto. That experience has shown up in a big way. Barrett has stepped up, acting as a rare source of reliable offense when the Raptors struggled to find anything on that end of the floor in the first two games and delivering a Game 3 victory alongside a big performance from Scottie Barnes.
Barrett has basically been everything you would have thought Brandon Ingram would be for the Raptors in this series: A dynamic source of offense, an efficient scorer, and someone who can hit big buckets to seal a win.
Barrett’s ability to step up like that saved the Raptors from a first-round sweep.
RJ Barrett has been invaluable for the Raptors
This has not been Brandon Ingram’s series. He is only averaging 12 points per game. That could have sealed the Raptors’ playoff fate quickly, but Barrett has created opportunities for the team to function despite Ingram’s struggles.
Unfortunately, it didn’t translate to wins in the first two games, but Barrett was instrumental in the Raptors’ huge Game 3 victory. He scored 33 points on 12-19 shooting from the field and 6-8 from three, including some big shots that put the nails in the coffin.
Barrett also grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists (tied with Jamal Shead for the second-most behind Scottie Barnes), and rounded out his stat sheet with two steals and one block.
It was the best playoff game of his career, and it earned him big praise from Scottie Barnes after the game.
“He’s doing so much for our team, attacking, going downhill, making threes,” Barnes said when asked about Barrett’s impact. “He’s guarding Mobley, switching onto Harden, going to Donovan Mitchell. He’s doing so many things for our team, it’s unbelievable. He’s stepping out of his comfort zone as well. He’s destroying that narrative that people think about him.”
This series could decide Barrett’s future with the Raptors
RJ Barrett’s rookie extension that he signed with the New York Knicks in 2022 is almost up, and his future with the Raptors isn’t set in stone quite yet. If the organization wants to go all-in on a big star on the trade market this offseason, Barrett could be one of the players who will have to be moved in the trade.
However, Barrett’s first playoff series in a Raptors uniform is proving how important he can be for this team, especially as a local talent.
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