The three-4 Toronto Raptors haven’t turned many heads with their file up to now by seven video games of the 2023-24 NBA season. However individually, there have definitely been some brilliant spots within the early going.
Main the best way is ahead Scottie Barnes, whose outing on Sunday in San Antonio put the cherry on prime of his opening two weeks of the 12 months. The 22-year-old Florida State product matched up in opposition to incoming celebrity Victor Wembanyama and completed the sport forward on the scoreboard and within the private stat column.
The 2021 NBA Rookie of the 12 months put up 30 factors, 11 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and three blocks within the come-from-behind extra time victory over Wemby and the Spurs.
“He’s not shying away from these moments,” Raptors’ head coach Darko Rajakovic stated post-game. “He’s craving these moments and I’m blessed to have a participant like Scottie to place him in these conditions.”
He’s the primary participant up to now 10 seasons not named LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony to have not less than 15 factors and a number of steals and blocks within the fourth quarter of a recreation.
For Barnes, it was really 17 whole factors in that closing quarter, to which he helped Toronto erase a 22-point deficit to return again and win the sport 123-116 over San Antonio, which led by 20 factors 5 minutes into the third quarter.
“He’s a gamer and he loves these moments,” Rajakovic added.
Based on Sportsnet Stats, solely 23 gamers have ever matched a 30-11-6-3-3 particular person stat line. And it has solely occurred in 40 totally different situations.
Sure, Barnes was that dominant.
“He did all of it within the second half,” Rajakovic stated. “He rebounded the ball, he was pushing the ball in transition. We had solely three turnovers within the second half as a bunch, and we shot the ball actually, very well.”
Within the fourth quarter alone, the 22-year-old went three for 4 from the three-point line, picked up two offensive rebounds, grabbed two steals, made two blocks and snagged two assists on performs resulting in back-to-back three-pointers.
Of Barnes’ 10 tried threes, the 6-foot-9, 225-pound ahead sunk 5 on his makes an attempt, leading to an ideal half of his 30 factors.
“We wanted a spark,” Barnes shared. “The sport hadn’t been going effectively. We wanted one thing to go and I knew I wanted to start out doing one thing.”
The third-year Raptors phenom will now get the chance to comply with up his star-studded weekend efficiency with a take a look at on Wednesday evening in opposition to the Mavericks, as Toronto stops in Dallas for the third take a look at of a four-game street journey.
On the 12 months, Barnes is averaging 22.6 factors, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per recreation – all of that are important will increase from his 2022-23 season. He additionally owns averages of two.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per recreation this 12 months.
With new bench boss Darko Rajakovic calling the photographs, Barnes has been switched away from defending guards however relatively displaying up in opposition to forwards and the odd centre as his day-to-day matchups.
He’s additionally up from 29 p.c three-point taking pictures to his early-season fee of 42 p.c in the meanwhile. Over his previous six video games, Barnes has scored a minimal of 20 factors.
“…staying assured, staying able to shoot these photographs and entering into it,” Barnes stated. You’ve simply bought to have that confidence.”
Ought to this set of seven video games not be an outlier however relatively the brand new regular, Barnes’ identify ought to be up for consideration in each the All-Star and Most Improved Participant votes later this 12 months.
