After beating the Atlanta Hawks in NBA Cup action on Friday night, the Toronto Raptors are above .500 for the first time since opening night, moving to 5-4 after winning their fourth straight game. Once again, it was a collective effort (seven players in double figures) and once again, RJ Barrett was part of that collective.
Barrett scored 19 points on Friday, but his second-half effort may have been his best half of the year. He shot 7 for 9 from the field and scored 17 points, completely redeeming himself from a brutal first half. On the season, Barrett has scored 20-plus points in six of the Raps' nine games, and the team is 4-2 in those games (5-2 in the games he scores at least 19, counting Friday).
The roles in Toronto are starting to crystalize as we move deeper into the season, and coach Darko seems content with asking Barrett to be a 20-point scoring, sometimes-offensive creating guy that he can be. No more, no less. It might be the perfect balance.
RJ Barrett has the perfect level of responsibility in Toronto
He's not expected to be a 25-point per game scorer, or make plays consistently, or do any of the things that he was sometimes tasked with in New York. Funny enough, he has become a much better overall player since he was in NY, so now he's more well-equipped to do those things if needed! Instead, Barrett is expected to be one of three 20-ish point scorers on the Raptors, sometimes being the top guy if he gets hot, other nights taking a backseat to Brandon Ingram or Scottie Barnes.
It's a pretty great setup, in my opinion! Barrett's difference in efficiency when he was in New York versus his time in Toronto is staggering. His true shooting is over 6 points higher and his impact numbers are better across the board. He's a better player in every facet now than he was with the Knicks.
In New York, RJ Barrett had the reputation of an inefficient, inconsistent scorer. Some of that was self-inflicted, but most of it was because he could barely buy a beer in the city and was being given responsibilities that were never fair to him. He entered the NBA and was immediately thrust into Tom Thibodeau's notoriously brutal system. Barrett never really had a chance there.
In Toronto, he can play so much freer, knowing that the team is counting on him to contribute, but not relying on him to save the game every single night. Less pressure leads to more positive results, and we're seeing those results almost nightly.