The Raptors are back in the playoff picture for the first time since 2022 when they lost in the first round. Scottie Barnes, who has been a two-way menace for the Raptors, is a big reason for that success. His impact hasn’t gone unnoticed by one of the Raptors’ greats.
Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg recently shared a clip of Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter talking about the current Raptors squad.
“I want to give Scottie his flowers as well,” Carter said. “It was his team for a long time. He was willing to sacrifice for the good of BI [Brandon Ingram] coming in, being himself, and look what he’s done. He’s still become an All-Star.”
Carter also added that Barnes was well set up for several Individual accolades to come his way now that he had helped put his team in a position to go to the playoffs. McGrady noted that Barnes had a solid case for Defensive Player of the Year.
That is high praise from one of the best players to ever wear a Raptors jersey, and, if everything goes right for Barnes, he should eventually put his name into that very same conversation.
Barnes is on the path to Raptors greatness
Scottie Barnes was the Raptors’ highest draft pick since they selected Andrea Bargnani with the first overall pick in 2006. That alone put a lot of pressure on Barnes’s shoulders. However, when he first joined the team, he was surrounded by veteran stars in Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet. Then, VanVleet signed with the Rockets in free agency, and Siakam and Anunoby were traded away.
Although, the Anunoby trade brought RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto, Barnes was more in the spotlight than ever after losing the three veterans. About a year later, the Raptors also traded for Brandon Ingram, who became the team’s leader in points and field-goal attempts per game, as soon as he made his debut this season.
Despite adding a player like Ingram, who demands a lot of touches and shot attempts, Barnes is playing some of the best basketball of his career. He is the team’s second-leading scorer and defensive anchor. His efforts earned him his first outright All-Star selection. In 2024, he only made it as an injury replacement.
After that All-Star nod, Barnes can also expect to add an All-Defensive Team selection to his resume. Some All-NBA chatter shouldn’t be off the table either.
It will take more than individual awards for Barnes to establish himself as a Raptors great, though. Team success also plays a huge factor. The Raptors are far from perfect right now and struggle against the top teams in the league, but they are finally in a position to return to the playoffs. And, considering the talent between Barnes, Ingram, Quickley, and Barrett, they could secure some postseason wins sooner rather than later.