Being a leader, let alone a great one, is way easier said than done. But whenever someone steps into that role and is trusted with the belief that they can grow into it, it’s undeniably an honor and a privilege. In the world of sports — especially basketball — it's fair to say that leadership can take many forms. There's often a bias that a true leader must possess wisdom, age, or some kind of merit that sets them apart.
But looking at the Raptors, for example, we have a promising young leader in Jamal Shead. He's only an NBA sophomore, yet he exudes a sense of poise and demeanor that distinguish him as a professional leader, even at this early stage. That being said, there is still a consensus that the Raptors' true leader is Scottie Barnes, as he is widely regarded as the team's cornerstone and the face of the franchise.
In a sense, we can conclude that the roles of franchise player and leader go hand in hand. If the keys to the franchise are in your hands, then how can the rest of the team be expected to lead by example or set the tone if you cannot do so yourself? This has been a pressing issue for Scottie Barnes during this recent disappointing stretch of Raptors basketball, where the team has gone just 3-7 in their last 10 games. And honestly, it's a concern that’s been brought up nearly every year since the former Rookie of the Year was thrust into such an important role.
Scottie Barnes is forced to always step up in such a key role for Raptors
This past weekend was particularly tough for Scottie B, as he faced some significant struggles during Toronto's back-to-back losses against Boston and Brooklyn. On December 20 against the Celtics, Barnes had a rough shooting night, going just 5-for-15 from the field. Giving him credit elsewhere, he made an impact with nine rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. The following night against the Nets was even more challenging, as Barnes was unable to find any consistent rhythm and struggled to help rally the Raptors, finishing with only six points on 3-for-10 shooting.
During a halftime segment in the December 21 game against Brooklyn (as Toronto disappointingly trailed 39-49), TSN Raptors commentator Leo Rautins voiced his concern over Barnes' performance dip of late (X clip link here):
"It’s hard to be a franchise player. When you’re a franchise player, you have to step up, even when your game’s not there, even when you’re not feeling it, you have to be the guy ... You gotta be one of the guys to stop that run ... His body language is not good at all ... Scottie [Barnes] can impact both of these games [referring to Celtics and Nets] and get you a win — rebounding, attacking the paint, defensively, getting on the glass. Not just scoring. And what we've seen prior to this, is not settling, being aggressive, he's settling right now. "Leo Rautins on Scottie Barnes
I respect everything Scottie Barnes has accomplished so far in his NBA career and the maturity he's shown to get to this star-in-the-making trajectory. Barnes is an absolute machine on the defensive end, but when things don’t go his way offensively — whether it’s a lack of calls or a rough scoring stretch (both individually or as a team) — you can’t afford to let that frustration cause you to lose your intensity and edge.
This is easy to say from the outside looking in, sure, but as this TSN segment highlighted, it’s about rising to the occasion in those moments — proving what kind of player you are, and demonstrating that you can respond to adversity rather than crumble under pressure. Your team depends on it.
Yes, Barnes is only 24 years old and has many more years of NBA experience ahead of him. However, the window to figure these things out is closing — especially given his fundamental role as the de facto leader and highest-paid player on the team. Barnes needs to channel that energy into something positive and use it as motivation to improve, rather than allowing it to manifest as lackadaisical effort or negative body language.