The Raptors Duo That Will Shut Down The NBA

The Raptors Duo That Will Shut Down The NBA

Toronto might have just found their next great duo. Scotty Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Two all-star talents, two very different games, but a perfect fit on the court. Ingram’s smooth scoring, length, and shot creation give the Raptors a go-to bucket getter in crunch time. Meanwhile, Scotty’s playmaking, defense, and relentless energy make him the ultimate connector. The glue guy, the guy who ties everything together. One thrives by breaking down defenses and hitting tough shots. The other thrives creating for others and locking up the opposing team’s best player. Together, they cover each other’s weaknesses and double down on their strengths. It’s the start of a new era in Toronto. One built on versatility, unselfishness, and two stars entering their primes. Now, while this new partnership has the league on notice to really understand where the rappers are headed, we have to first understand the rise of Scotty Barnes and Brandon Ingram because their journey is what made this moment possible. Scotty Barnes’ story starts in West Palm Beach, Florida, where a kid with endless energy and a huge smile fell in love with basketball. Even back then, people noticed how much fun he had on the court. The same energy that would one day win over an entire NBA city. Scratch that, an entire NBA country. He grew up playing on local courts, standing out for his versatility and positive attitude. By high school, Scotty was a big-time prospect. For his senior year, he moved to Monde Academy, one of the best high school basketball programs in the country. That team was stacked with guys like Kate Cunningham and Moses Moody. Many say it’s one of the greatest high school squads ever. Even back then, Scotty could do it all. He could score. He could rebound, pass, defend one through five, and he helped Malver Verde go undefeated in 2020. He was a five-star recruit ranked as the fifth best player in the country, and he had offers from top schools everywhere. But he chose Florida State. Drawn in by coach Leonard Hamilton’s plan for him. At FSU, Scotty took on a unique role. Instead of starting every game, he came off the bench and still dominated. He made such a big impact that he won the ACC freshman of the year and ACC 6man of the year in the same season. In just 25 minutes a game, he averaged 10.3 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Due to his size, being 6’9, and having good court vision and defense, NBA scouts couldn’t stop talking about him. After just one year in college, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, ready to take that infectious energy to the pros. And later in this video, you’ll see how another versatile forward, Brandon Ingram, had his own path to NBA start. But let’s keep following Scotty’s rise for now. Draft night in 2021 was the first big turning point in Scotty Barnes’s career. Everybody knew the first three picks. Kate Cunningham, Jaylen Green, Evan Mobley. They were pretty much locked in. The Raptors had the fourth pick and pretty much everybody thought they would take Gonzaga star Jaylen Suggs. But behind the scenes, the Raptors had fallen in love with Scotty during workouts. So when Adam Silver stepped up to the mic and said, “With the fourth pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors select Scotty Barnes.” The entire arena and TV broadcast reacted with shock. Scotty jumped out of his seat with a huge smile, but many fans were confused. Suggs was seen as a ready-made 3 and D guy, while Scotty was viewed as a defensive star and team first guy, but with a lot of questions around his offense. With Kyle Lowry leaving that summer, a lot of people felt that Toronto needed a proven score. But the Raptors believed in Scotty’s upside. And from the second he put on that Raptors hat, he was determined to prove them right. It didn’t take very long. Right from his first NBA game, Scotty was making everybody rewrite their pre-draft takes. He was a masterpiece in versatility. One possession, he’d bully a defender in the post. The next he’d hit a smooth jumper or a little hook shot. He defended all over the floor. He crashed the boards hard. And those scoring concerns gone. He averaged over 16 points a game on better than 50% shooting in his first month. The Raptors, who were coming off a rough season, suddenly looked energized. By November, Charles Barkley had already called it, saying it was guaranteed that Barnes would win Rookie of the Year. And it wasn’t just because of the stats. It’s the way he played. He played with joy, passion, and smarts beyond his years. He really was special. Even Kevin Durant noticed it, praising his IQ. The way Scotty played, it’s like the game was slower for him than most other young players. Toronto fans completely fell in love with him. One perfect example was against Durant’s nets. Scotty picked Katie’s pocket, raced down the floor, and went in for a reverse dunk. He looked back at Katie three separate times. It was bold and pretty cheeky, but more than anything, it sent a clear message. This smiling kid wasn’t scared of anyone. And remember, after we finish Scotty’s journey, we’ll also get into Brandon Ingram story because that’s another player who plays without fear. By the end of the 2021 2022 season, Scotty Barnes had officially made his mark. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming just the third Raptor ever to win it, joining Starttomire and Vince Carter. The race couldn’t have been closer. Cleveland’s Evan Mobley had been just as good all season, but Scotty edged them out by only 15 points in the voting, the tightest rookie of the year battle ever under the current format. It also led to a lot of beef and battling on Twitter between Cleveland fans and Toronto fans. In 74 games, Scotty had averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks. The stat actually put him in rare company. Only five other rookies in NBA history had ever hit at least 15731 0.7 in a season since steals and blocks were tracked with names like Chris Weber and Ben Simmons on that list. Okay, Ben Simmons hasn’t aged well, but all the other players on that list ended up being very good. Scotty’s impact was everywhere. He led all rookies in minutes played. Ranked top five among rookies in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, and became the first Raptors rookie ever to put up over a,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 250 assists in a season. Now, that’s a lot of numbers I just threw at you, but simply put, his rookie year was historic, and it cemented him as the new cornerstone for a Rappers team that desperately needed a star to rally around after Kawhi Leonard’s departure a couple of years earlier. Going into his second year, everyone in Toronto had huge expectations for Scotty Barnes. Scotty set big goals for himself, too. He wanted to work on his jump shot, become an even better playmaker, and help the Raptors win more games. The 2023 season, though, did not go according to plan. It was a reminder that in the NBA, progress isn’t always linear. Teams were scouting him closely now, throwing different defenses at him, and it showed. His scoring and efficiency dipped early on. Some people were already starting to throw around the term sophomore slump. But the truth was, Scotty was still producing and adding new parts to his game. The Raptors wanted him to handle the ball more, even run the offense like a point forward at time. At first, it was an adjustment, but he started to find his rhythm after the All-Star break. He attacked the paint more, created for his teammates, and looked way more comfortable in a bigger role. By the end of the year, his numbers were almost identical to his rookie stats. The slump talk had went away, and Scotty came out of that season with way more experience on how to handle different defenses. Then came year three and the leap that the Raptors fans had been waiting for. Right from the start of the 2024 season, Scotty looked sharper, stronger, and way more confident. He was the team’s doit all leader. By February, he was putting up careerh highs. 20.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, plus over a steal and block a game. His work on that jumper had paid off, too. He had more threes than ever, and shot a solid 36.5% from deep. That season, Scotty was named his first NBA All-Star game. Even though it came as an injury replacement, it was fully deserved. By mid-season, he had joined Giannis as the only player with at least 1,000 points, 400 rebounds, 250 assists, 50 blocks, and 50 steals. He was officially becoming a complete player, and the Rappers made it clear this is the guy they want to build around. In the 2025 season, Scotty’s game leveled up even more. His defense was now elite. He guarded one through five, switching on to guards without a problem, and then using his length to bother jump shooters. Offensively, he became even more confident, especially now that he was forced to be a go-to score for the team. He would use his strength to bully smaller defenders in the post and he improved his handle to attack bigger ones off the dribble. His playmaking remains his best weapon. He can grab a rebound, push the ball in transition, and find a teammate for an easy bucket in second. He’s also trying to cut down on turnovers while increasing his assist numbers. Of course, there are still areas of his game that he needs to improve on, like his shooting. But we have seen enough to suggest that he has all the tools needed not just to be a rising star, but someone that could truly be the face of a franchise. Now, while we have been focusing on Scotty’s rise, there’s another forward with his own incredible journey, Brandon Ingram. Like Scotty, Ingram had the weight of expectations, but he battled through the challenges and grew into an NBA star. And now that we have seen how Scotty became the heart of Toronto, it’s time to dive into the story of his new partner and the rapper’s newest star, Brandon Ingram. Ingram’s story starts in the small town of Kinston, North Carolina. A place with fewer than 25,000 people, but a massive basketball reputation. Locals call it basketball heaven, and they’re not kidding. For a town its size, Kinston has produced more NBA players than almost anywhere else. Ingram grew up right in the middle of that culture. As a kid dribbling on the playgrounds, he knew the names that came before him. Jerry Stackhouse, Cedric Maxwell, Reggie Bulock. He was a quiet, skinny kid that had long arms. But in Kinston, toughness is a non-negotiable. Older players made sure of that, testing young kids in rough pickup games. The tradition ran deep in Brandon’s own family. Years before he was born, his dad, Donald Ingram, had played against a teenage Jerry Stack House in local gym. Fast forward and a young Brandon Ingram was now going up against Stack House. This time the NBA veteran was banging bodies with him, toughening him up just like his dad had once been. That’s how basketball works in North Carolina. The older generation always passed down lessons to the next. At Kinston High School, Ingram became a legend. As a freshman, he named the varsity team and helped the Vikings win a state championship. Then they won another and another and another. Four straight title. These guys were just farming silverware. In his senior championship game in March of 2015, he dropped 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, earning MVP honors as his high school clinched its fourth straight state crown. By his senior year, he was about 6’8, eventually hitting 6’9 with a wingspan over 7’3. He was averaging a double double and looked like a player built for the next level. His combination of this KD- like length and smooth shooting drew college recruiters from everywhere to his smalltown gym. That year, he was named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball and became a McDonald’s All-American. He was officially one of the top recruits in the country. So his college choice ended up being big news in basketball circle. Most people around him were diehard North Carolina Tar Heels or North Carolina State fan. Duke was seen as the elite outsider program. What most didn’t know though was that Ingram had actually been a Duke fan since he was a kid. Though he didn’t exactly advertise that fact to Jerry Stackhouse, his mentor and a proud UNCC alumni. When it came time to decide, he shocked a lot of folks in his hometown, but not from the people who knew him best. He picked Duke. It was a dream come true. In 2015, the quiet 18-year-old Brandon Ingram walked straight into the bright lights of Cameron Endor Stadium, playing for the legendary Coach K. He was skinny, but full of potential, and many expected him to help replace some of Duke’s recent stars. Early on, he looked pretty good against some of the weaker teams, scoring 15 and 21 points in his first two games. But when Duke faced stronger opponents like Kentucky, VCU, and Georgetown, things got a bit rougher. Ingram scoring dipped into the single digits, and at one point, he even came off the bench. The whispers had started. Maybe he wasn’t ready. Maybe the hype was too much. That was the narrative that was being pushed. But Ingram kept quiet. He kept working and he turned things around. When Coach K switched him to a six-man role against Yale, he responded with 15 points and got his confidence back. From that game on, he took off. By January, he was Duke’s star. His scoring came alive, his defense improved, and he learned to play both inside and around the perimeter. Surrounded by other talented players, he still led all ACC freshman with 17.3 points per game along with 6.8 rebounds. He was named ACC Freshman of the Year and made the second team all ACC. NBA scouts were drooling over him. I mean, a 6-9 forward with insane length, smooth scoring, it was baby Kevin Durant. After just one year of Duke, it was pretty obvious he was ready for the NBA. In the 2016 NBA draft, Ingram went number two overall to the LA Lakers right after Ben Simmons. It was a pretty big jump from a small North Carolina town to the NBA’s most glamorous franchise. The Lakers had been in a rebuild mode after Kobe Bryant’s retirement and were desperate for a new face for their franchise. Many thought that Ingram could be that guy. They even gave him Kobe’s old locker, but he stayed grounded. I like to think that it’s because he’s humble, but it could also be that he permanently looks baked. At his first press conference, he stood there holding the iconic purple and gold Lakers jersey with his name on it. His parents were in the front row, proud beyond words. Now, Ingram’s first year in the NBA with the Lakers was all about learning and growing. He came in as one of the youngest players in the league, and adjusting to the physicality and speed of the pros wasn’t easy. In his rookie year, the 19-year-old only averaged 9.4 points and four rebounds a game. He showed flashes of what he could be, but like most young players, he was pretty inconsistent. The Lakers were patient, which was a shocker at the time, but they knew that development takes time. By his second year, he had filled out a bit. He played more aggressively, and he raised his scoring to around 16 points per game. Even with that growth, though, the Lakers were a team that were at the bottom of the standing. But then the summer of 2018 happened and that changed everything. The King came to LA. Suddenly, Ingram had to figure out how to play alongside one of, if not the greatest player of all time. With the media watching every move. Early in the 2019 season, there were some growing pains. In a game against the Rockets, Ingram showed his fiery side. Like I said, this guy looks mellow and baked all the time, so people weren’t used to seeing him throw punches like this. He got into a scuffle and earned a 4-ame suspension. The usually quiet Ingram apologized, but it showed that he had some fight in him. After that, he started to settle in next to LeBron. He cut to the basket. He knocked down open jumpers, and he used his length to defend. By February 2019, he was hitting his stride, averaging 27.8 points over a six-game stretch right after the All-Star break with several big 25 plus points. But then, just as things were looking up, came a scary turn. In early March, he felt pain in his right shoulder. Doctors found a deep Venice thrombosis, a blood clot in his vein, in his arm. It was serious, even life-threatening if untreated. The Lakers shut him down for the season and within days Ingram had surgery. Fans immediately thought of Chris Bosch whose career ended due to a similar issue. Thankfully, the doctors were confident that Ingram could fully recover, but it was still a wakeup call. Ingram later said that it made him grateful just to play basketball again. That off season though brought another big change. While he focused on recovery, the Lakers shifted their focus to winning now. In July 2019, they traded him along with some other young players and picks to the New Orleans Pelicans for superstar Anthony Davis. The move sent him from the bright lights of LA to the quieter vibe of New Orleans and gave him something he hadn’t had before, a team to call his own. The Pelicans were rebuilding and saw a 22-year-old Ingram as a key piece of the future. Once fully cleared, he embraced a fresh start. The 2020 season became his true breakout year. Free from LeBron’s shadows and the pressures of LA and the curse of the Kardashians, Ingram flourished as the Pelicans main score. He put up careerhighs, 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 two assists and one steal per game while shooting 39% from three and over 85% from the free throw line. At just 22 years old, he was becoming the star that people always thought he could be. That season, he made his first NBA All-Star appearance and won the most improved player award, beating out finalists like Bam Adabio. It was a huge turnaround, especially considering that a year earlier, he wasn’t even sure if he’d play again. Ingram thanked God for his recovery and credited the Pelicans for believing in him. He also gave a heartfelt shout out to his parents, talking about how his dad would work long shifts with barely any sleep and still show up to rebound for him, and how his mom worked the same job for over 30 years with total dedication. Ingram kept up his strong play after that. In the 2021 season, he averaged 23.8 points again, proving it wasn’t a one-year fluke. Now, the Pelicans, though, still had some growing pains as a team. But in 2022, things really started to click. They added CJ McCollum, and even though Zion Williamson was out injured, Ingram stepped up as the leader. That spring, the Pelicans made a surprise playoff run. In the first round against the number one seed, Phoenix Suns, Ingram had a breakout performance on the national stage. Over six games, he averaged 27 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, including a 37-point game. The Pelicans lost the series, but Ingram’s fearless play earned him a huge amount of praise. The way he scored over defenders and took over late in games really reminded people that he was a young Kevin Durant. But we have to keep in mind that Ingram’s path hasn’t been without bumps. He’s battled through injuries like the toe issue in the 2023 season that kept him out for two months. And he played on a Pelicans team that had its shares of ups and downs, especially with Zion missing so much time. But when Ingram is on the floor, his impact is undeniable. He’s evolved into a go-to scorer, a smart playmaker, and somebody who can close out in tight games. He’s also a calm, composed leader. He’s still the same quiet kid at heart who prefers to let his game do the talking. Now with a full off season to settle in, Ingram’s fit alongside Scotty Barnes could make the Raptors one of the most versatile teams in the league. His ability to create his own shot, knock down jumpers, and score at all three levels. Plus, the fact that he can handle the ball in the crunch gives Toronto a proven scoring option late in games, something that they have been desperately missing. He can operate as the primary score when needed or slide into a secondary playmaking role to let Scotty run the offense. On top of that, his length and defensive instincts make him a strong compliment on the wing, giving the Raptors another switchable defender. With Scotty’s all-around game and Ingram’s polish scoring, Toronto has a one-two punch that can hurt defenses in completely different ways. If they can both stay healthy, the 2026 season could be the start of a new era in Toronto basketball. To see how good the team around these guys is, you got to check out this video right here.

The Toronto Raptors have a new star duo in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. With Barnes’ all-around game and Ingram’s scoring ability, the Raptors suddenly look like a dangerous team in the East. Here’s a breakdown of how good they can be together.

#Raptors #NBA #ScottieBarnes #BrandonIngram #WeTheNorth