It is over ladies and gentlemen. We don't have to wait much longer before regular-season Raptors basketball is here upon us, with their home opener set for on the road against Atlanta on October 22.
But rounding out their schedule of exhibition play, the squad were back at Scotiabank Arena on October 18 to face the Brooklyn Nets, in what turned out to be a monster outing for Scottie Barnes. Barnes' preseason efforts haven't looked tremendous to say the least, in fact, many fans and commentators alike were quick to point out his efficiency struggles, not looking motivated enough, or perhaps nursing an injury that was hampering his play (reports came out that Barnes was dealing with "left knee tendonitis").
On nights when his star contemporaries, Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett, were looking really solid, it just seemed like Barnes couldn't quite put it all together to look like the usual versatile and aggressive self that Raptors Nation has come to know. Well, sometimes it's better to close things out with a bang, and Barnes did just that. Toronto pulled out with the 119-114 victory over Brooklyn, and on a night where newcomer Brandon Ingram appear to take a step back on offense, it was fully in the hands of Scottie Barnes to take over the show (RJ Barrett equally had an impressive performance, as did Immanuel Quickley, so hats off to them too).
Scottie Barnes leads Raptors to final preseason game victory over Brooklyn Nets
Barnes would log exactly 35 minutes of on-court run where he recorded 31 points on 66.7% field goal shooting, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block. Adding to his strong performance, Barnes would find much success at the free-throw line, making 11 of his 12 attempts at the charity stripe.
Toronto, in general, had the Nets outclassed as the Raptors had their way in the paint, scoring 66 of their 119 points there, compared to Brooklyn's 40 of 114. Also, Toronto maximized their fast break opportunities, able to grab 38 points on those possessions, while the lowly Nets were only able to secure 5.
This is the version of Scottie Barnes that people want to see. Showcasing his best self down low with efficient, high-percentage takes near the rim, none of the long pull-up twos or difficult offensive pivots like jacking up a ton of three-pointers if it's clearly not working. In this game, Barnes called it at his two missed three-pointers and didn't look back, as he stayed the course with that relentless energy, and his performance looked a lot better as a result.
From a defensive standpoint, I was never led to think that Barnes missed a step in that regard, but keeping a level of offensive consistency is largely going to make-or-break the Raptors' upcoming season, and the pressure shouldn't be as high anymore considering Barnes is no longer the definitive number one option. They don't all have to be 25 or 30+ point performances like this one, but keeping things balanced and efficient will be the anchor to Scottie Barnes' impact.