As the Toronto Raptors look to build a contender in the years to come, their centerpiece will be returning to perform at the highest level.
The Toronto Raptors have started to put the pieces together for their upcoming rebuild quite well, prioritizing their young stars.
There’s no doubt that their best player, and the man they’re building around, is Scottie Barnes. The former Rookie of the Year and All-Star has shown that he can be the centerpiece on a competitive team.
Scottie Barnes had a slight dip in form last season after making the All-Star team for the first time in 2024.
And with a new roster and direction, the Raptors will be looking to put Barnes in the best position possible to succeed.
Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty ImagesScottie Barnes aims for bounce-back season amid low expectations for Toronto Raptors
In the 2023-24 season, Scottie Barnes averaged 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists en route to making his first All-Star team.
The following season, his numbers took a dip, as he averaged 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. Despite the dip in his numbers being marginal, he missed out on the All-Star game.
As he enters his fifth NBA season, Barnes is looking to prove to fans that his All-Star selection in 2024 was no fluke and that he is a player who can be a star in the NBA.
With a score-first frontcourt partner in Brandon Ingram, Barnes might not get as many touches as he used to. But thanks to Ingram, he will have less defensive attention and can get to the basket a lot easier.
Given Barnes’ ability as a slasher and his knack for using his physicality to get to the basket, he will have a lot more joy as a scorer next season.
Scottie Barnes can be the big fish in a small pond next season
As mentioned earlier, the Toronto Raptors don’t have a lot of expectations to perform well next season, given the state of their roster.
While Brandon Ingram is a fan of the Raptors roster, it’s very clear that they are a weak side, even with the depleted nature of the Eastern Conference taken into consideration.
Therefore, Barnes has the advantage of being a star-level player on a team that isn’t competing at a high level.
Of course, Barnes is going to have to play in the best interest of the team. But that doesn’t mean he won’t relish the opportunities that will come his way.