Barnes is already in his fifth season with the Raptors, but it’s still evident that the 24-year-old is steadily improving, growing his skill set, and learning what it takes to be one of the best players on a competitive team.
After a 139-87 beatdown against the Magic, head coach Darko Rajaković noted the improvement Barnes has made in pick-and-roll situations.
“What he really improved is his pick-and-roll game,” Rajaković said, “that now he’s able to do a really good job of not just setting and rolling but also doing a really good job of handling the ball, playmaking, scoring out of those positions as well.”
Being able to put Barnes in pick-and-roll situations as the ballhandler is a massive advantage for the Raptors. At 6’8” and with his ability to attack the rim or make the right pass, Barnes is almost impossible to guard when he’s coming off a good screen. Opponents also can’t switch just anyone onto Barnes if they don’t want to risk a mismatch he can exploit mercilessly.
Putting the ball into Barnes’s hands has been a recipe for success lately
With Immanuel Quickley out, the Raptors made a deft adjustment for their game against the Pelicans. Instead of starting Jamal Shead, Darko Rajaković inserted Ja’Kobe Walter and his 3-point shooting into the starting lineup and put the ball into Scottie Barnes’s hands. It worked out beautifully. Barnes recorded a double-double with 23 points and 12 assists, and the Raptors secured a much-needed win.
Brandon Ingram missed the Raptors’ game against the Orlando Magic, so Shead was back in the starting lineup. He played a very solid game with 12 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals. But Barnes still took on a lot of the ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities and put together another outstanding performance. He finished the game with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 15 assists, and 3 steals.
Barnes’s ability to push the pace and find his teammates in fastbreak situations has been invaluable to the Raptors over the past two games and will remain important as they close out the season with their eyes firmly set on a playoff spot.
The Raptors created some much-needed separation between themselves and the Magic with this latest win, but the Hawks and 76ers are still within striking distance. Every last game of the regular season could change the Raptors’ place in the standings. So, they need to be firing on all cylinders on both ends of the floor, and Barnes is the key to that.