Scottie Barnes proving he has what it takes to be the face of the next great Raptors team

Scottie Barnes proving he has what it takes to be the face of the next great Raptors team

It’s Scottie Barnes’ time.

Midway through his third NBA season, Barnes was handed the keys to the Raptors as the franchise made it clear that they would be building around him. Make no mistake, the responsibility is one that not all 22-year-olds are cut out for, but Barnes is proving to be capable through the highs and lows that come with the territory.

Barnes’ response to the ugliest low of the season — exiting the floor early in a blowout loss to the lowly Spurs — is enough of a sample size for Raptors fans to trust that the future is in great hands.

Since debuting on the All-Star Game stage in Indianapolis, Barnes has done away with notions that his All-Star billing may have been premature. After sharing the floor with the world’s best talent, Barnes has come out of the break with averages of 19.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.3 blocks while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 92.3 percent from the charity stripe.

Small as the sample size may be, it’s hard not to be encouraged by the poise that Barnes has displayed, especially during his performance against the Pacers.

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Eight days after taking the Gainbridge Fieldhouse floor as an All-Star, Barnes was back in Indianapolis to face Pascal Siakam, who preceded Barnes as the face of the Raptors franchise. Poetically, Barnes finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to tie Siakam for second all-time in the Raptors record book with five career triple-doubles.

It only took Barnes 209 career games to do it.

The triple-double was even more impressive in that it was Barnes’ fourth of the 2023-24 campaign, a single-season franchise record. He also added five blocks to become the eighth-youngest player to record a triple-double with five-plus blocks in NBA history, joining a list that includes the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Walton and Chris Webber.

There’s so much to take from Barnes’ record-breaking performance, but the most important stat is that it came in a win.

Barnes’ ascension contributing to winning basketball says everything about his prospects as a franchise player. 22-year-old All-Stars just don’t grow on trees, and the fact that Toronto has one at the core of its franchise is something all fans should be encouraged by.

As Barnes’ regretful moment against the Spurs showed, growing pains and discomfort will come with these newfound responsibilities.

“He is learning what kind of effect he has on (his) team and teammates and everybody,” head coach Darko Rajaković said after Barnes’ mistake against San Antonio.

“He’s 22 years old. He’s going for the first time in his life through this, being the face of a franchise. And he’s emotional. He also needs to learn how to channel those emotions. All of us, we have emotions. We’re gonna react a certain way. The question is, how quickly we’re going to be able to bounce back and do the right thing.”

Barnes’ response in the time since has shown that he’s more than capable of taking this franchise back to the heights it wants to reach.

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With just over six weeks remaining in the season, Barnes and the Raptors have a realistic shot at the postseason as they look to catch a Hawks team that will be without Trae Young for the foreseeable future.

In the short term, there’s a question of whether or not Barnes can push this team to this year’s Play-In Tournament. Regardless of the fate of this season’s Raptors club, Barnes is showing exactly why can be counted on to propel them to even bigger heights in the long term.