Scottie Barnes has been nothing short of amazing in the postseason. Through three games, he has led the Raptors in scoring (26.7) and assists (7.7). His best game of the playoffs came in Toronto’s Game 3 win against Cleveland, where he put up 33 points, five rebounds, and 11 assists on 11-for-17 shooting.
In the playoffs thus far, Barnes has been aggressive hunting shots and trying to be an efficient first option for this Raptors team. One eye-popping statistic from the first three games is Barnes’ three-point shooting.
He is 7-for-13 (56.8%) from behind the arc. This has been a huge boost to the team, especially considering Barnes is a career 30.1% three-point shooter and shot 30.4% this season.
Although Toronto needs Barnes to remain aggressive in finding his own shots, there is a fair question of whether the Raptors need a different offensive approach from their best player.
Toronto is better when Barnes is attacking the basket
Scottie Barnes averaged just 2.8 three-point attempts per game in the regular season. This postseason he has taken 4.3 attempts. He is knocking down those shots and giving Toronto’s offense life at times.
However, Barnes’ style of scoring is not built on three-point shooting. There are a limited number of defenders who can defend Barnes’ unique combination of size, strength, and speed. Cleveland’s Evan Mobley may be one of those defenders, but even with Mobley on the floor, Barnes needs to use his physical gifts to relentlessly break down the Cavaliers’ defense.
Any possession that ends in Barnes shooting a three-pointer, regardless of whether the shot falls, gives the Cavaliers an opportunity to rest. In contrast, possessions where Barnes aggressively drives to the basket force multiple Cleveland defenders into action and can wear them down over 48 minutes.
There is also an obvious question of how sustainable it is for a career 30.1% three-point shooter to keep shooting over 50% from deep. If Barnes chooses to settle for four or five threes per game, those shots have to fall. Otherwise, Toronto’s offense can quickly bog down.
Barnes’ drives set up his passing
Scottie Barnes has shown he can be an elite playmaker in this league. However, when his playmaking comes after collapsing the defense with aggressive drives, it creates easier looks for teammates.
Now, Barnes just had a playoff career-high 11 assists. He is clearly doing something right. But throughout the regular season, Toronto’s offense often flowed best when he looked for his own shots around the basket first, then found teammates once the defense paid too much attention to those drives.
Barnes’ jumper can be a weapon in this series. But if Toronto wants to push Cleveland to the brink, his greatest advantage is relentlessly attacking the rim.
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