RJ Barrett has been a consistent and reliable source of offense throughout his first three playoff games with his hometown franchise. He put together his best game yet in the Raptors’ 126-104 Game 3 victory when he recorded 33 points on 12-19 shooting, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He has officially taken over as the team’s go-to guy next to Scottie Barnes.
Brandon Ingram noted in a media availability on April 25 that Barrett may have some motivation that goes beyond just wanting to help his team win.
“You can tell, his name has been everywhere in being traded this year, and his name hasn’t been brought up a lot on the positive side,” Ingram said. “So, for him to come in and have a great mindset…to prove people that he belongs on this floor. That’s great to have when you have somebody that wants to prove something on the floor, but also he does it in the right way. That’s a luxury to have.”
While the Raptors’ season resulted in a trip to the playoffs, it’s obvious that the team needs some upgrades to make the jump from good to great. So, rumors and mock trades to get them that have been floating around all season, and quite a few of them included Barrett’s name. He’s a logical candidate given his salary and contract status, but trading him will become increasingly difficult if he continues to impress in the playoffs—not because teams won’t be interested (plenty should be after what he’s been doing), but because he is quickly solidifying his place as a hometown hero for Toronto basketball fans.
Where would the Raptors be without RJ Barrett?
The answer to that question is relatively simple: going into Game 4 in a 0-3 hole that no team has ever dug its way out of. The Raptors got strong performances from Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles and even Jamison Battle had his big playoff moment when he hit four 3-pointers, but it’s difficult to imagine that the Raptors would have beaten the Cavs as they did without RJ Barrett.
Barrett has filled a role that looked tailored to Brandon Ingram’s skill set before the series started, especially considering that the Cavs don’t have a ton of defenders who can match Ingram’s size and versatility. But Ingram has been quiet all series long, struggling to put up points. Barrett has filled that void and helped keep the Raptors’ offense afloat despite Ingram’s struggles and Immanuel Quickley’s absence.
Add us as a preferred source on Google