One major player returns, and one doesn't.
Scottie Barnes, the Raptors resident All-Star, will make his first appearance in NBA action since he injured his hand on March 1st. Barnes missed the last 22 games of the 23-24 regular season due to the aforementioned hand injury, and missed the start of training camp, the Raptors open practice at McGill, and didn’t play in their first preseason game, a win against Washington.
“I’m just happy to be playing again. It’s been a really long time.” Barnes said at practice. “To be able to go play in an actual game, that’s super fun and super exciting for me. I’ve been playing with these guys all summer, and just being able to go out there and work and build things out on the floor.”
The Raptors have raved about Barnes’ leadership and work ethic over the course of the summer, and while he didn’t play in their first preseason game, he was a very active participant in bench support – helping to call out defensive coverages, and cheering on his teammates as some of them made their NBA debuts.
Barnes will be looking to ramp up for the regular season, and hopefully improve upon his All-Star season where he put up 19.9ppg/8.2rbs/6.1asts/1.5blks/1.3stls.
Today at practice, Darko Rajakovic told us that Immanuel Quickley will not be available for the game against the Washington Wizards. No one has expressed any concern about how Quickley is coming along, it just seems like extra precaution is being taken. There also doesn’t seem to be much concern for getting Quickley into game shape, as both Masai Ujiri & Rajakovic have talked about how many hours of work Quickley put into the gym this past summer.
For now, and considering RJ Barrett’s injury, there will be more opportunity and possessions for the guards on the roster, like Davion Mitchell, Jamal Shead, and DJ Carton.
Hoping for a fun game.
The Toronto Raptors forward joined the organization at training camp Saturday following an excuse personal absence, according to reporters in Montreal. He took part in practice on Saturday but will not play in Toronto's first preseason game on Sunday.
Toronto will also be without Immanuel Quickley on Sunday as the Raptors' lead guard continues to recover from a thumb sprain he suffered earlier in the offseason. He has not participated in training camp so far but he's expected to be ready to go for the start of the season.
The Raptors remain without Bruce Brown who continues to recover from offseason knee surgery. His status will be updated closer to the start of the regular season, but he is likely to miss multiple weeks of the season. He remains without a definitive timetable for his return this year.
Rookie first-round pick Ja'Kobe Walter remains out as he works his way back from a shoulder strain he suffered in offseason activities. He should be ready to go for the start of the regular season, if not before. The injury is not expected to impact his ramp up toward the regular season too much.
The Raptors will play host to the Washington Wizards in the preseason opener in Montreal at 7:30 p.m. ET. Their next game will take place on Oct. 11 in a rematch against the Wizards in Washington.
When last seen on the court wearing a Raptors’ jersey, Barnes was hurt back on March 1 when the visiting Golden State Warriors and fan favourite Steph Curry were in town.
The home side lost the game.
In the remaining 22 games to close out the season, the Raptors won but three times, including a stretch that would see Toronto drop 15 in a row.
Whatever gains the 2024-25 unit is capable of reaching will rest on Barnes’ shoulders.
Exhibition play is a glorified exercise in futility, a chance for players not accustomed to getting extended minutes to showcase their talents, a chance to make an impression.
What’s known is that this iteration of the Raptors will be young when the ball gets tossed on opening night in a fortnight.
“I’m just happy to be playing again,’’ said Barnes when he convened with the media Wednesday.
“It’s been a really long time.”
In the team’s pre-season opener staged in Montreal on Sunday against the Wizards, Barnes sat out because of personal reasons.
“He’s gone through practice as normal, he’s been ramping up his work,’’ said head coach Darko Rajakovic.
“We expect him to play.”
On media day before the team headed off to Montreal to begin training camp, Barnes spoke of wanting to have more of a leadership voice with the unit.
As the undisputed face of the franchise, his words carry plenty of clout, but his on-court actions will speak even louder.
He took a major step last season, his third in the NBA, but more steps must be taken.
The one element to his game that showed the most improvement was Barnes’ perimeter shooting.
Definitive conclusions will not be made Friday, but it does represent Barnes’ first foray, even if it is the pre-season.
“I want to see he’s embracing his role,’’ added the head coach. “I want to see he’s playing for the team, he’s playing the right way, making the right decisions.
“I believe Scottie is a very unselfish player, a team-oriented player and I want him to continue being that. He’s making the right decisions more times than not. He also brings a lot of intensity to our defence, he’s a good rim protector as well.
“One of his goals is to improve his defence to an elite level where he’s being recognized as defensive player of the year.”
The latter seems a bit of a stretch, but there’s no harm in setting the bar as high as possible.
Barnes does have the size and athleticism to guard multiple positions.
It’s hard to envision Barnes staying in front of a small and explosive point guard, but the Raptors do have some intriguing options, though none is considered to be offensively gifted.
Barnes has shown he can score, but he has also shown an ability to create for his teammates when drawing extra defenders.
There’s really no true post option capable of getting buckets on the block, but Barnes’ size, especially in mismatches, can be lethal.
So far, Rajakovic has been impressed when watching Barnes put in the work and how the team’s go-to option has integrated with the team’s many new faces.
“His body looks amazing,’’ said Rajakovic. “He’s very explosive. He worked a lot this summer and I believe he improved a lot this summer.”
The summer schedule also allowed Barnes to ball with his teammates.
“I’ve been playing all summer getting to know each other, just trying to grow each and every single day,’’ said Barnes. “This will be another step when we get out there on the floor.
“Every day we play is another step.”
With RJ Barrett (shoulder) to miss the balance of the pre-season, with Immanuel Quickley (thumb) inching closer from his setback, Barnes will not have his main supporting cast Friday night.
Ideally, Quickley’s ability to run an offence will allow Barnes to play off the ball in certain sets.
In Barrett, Barnes will have an elite cutter to the rim, someone who can spot up and drill shots when defences are locked on Barnes.
There’s intrigue and some potential if all the parts eventually mesh, but no one is going to mistake the Raptors for title contenders, even if Barnes plays to an all-NBA level.
Baby steps must be made.
Rajakovic must keep Barnes accountable and not be fearful to get in his face when criticism is warranted.
As the team’s best player, Barnes has to lead by example.
The first glimpse of the 2024-25 version arrives Friday, albeit on the pre-season stage.
Toronto visits Boston Sunday and will play its first and only exhibition game at Scotiabank Arena next Tuesday night.
As happens with most official media coverage, the press was respectful of Barnes' privacy and didn't comment in detail on what kept Barnes away from the first few days of training camp. That's been the standard for responsible NBA coverage; for example, most media members knew Andrew Wiggins was missing time over the last two seasons due to his father battling an illness that ultimately took his life, but they waited to report on it until it was officially made public.
Whatever is going on with Scottie, it didn't appear to be a significant illness or injury, as he was present at Media Day and appeared to be in good health. He also showed up to camp just a few days late, and appears to be practicing in full.
If this were James Harden one might suspect he was flying to Las Vegas to enjoy some frivolities, but Barnes has always maintained a work ethic that wouldn't pull him away from his team unless absolutely necessary.
Thankfully, Raptors fans no longer need to wonder -- or for the most shrewd out there, to keep silent on what they assumed or discovered. On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst casually reported that Scottie Barnes missed the start of training camp for the birth of his child.
It became a public story last month when Barnes confirmed rumors that he and his partner were expecting a child, and it appears the due date was quite close when he did so. Given that he often communicates to fans on Twitch, it may be that an official announcement about his new child comes there rather than through the Raptors' official media arms.
It's a big season for Barnes, who just signed the largest contract in franchise history and looks to fully take over the reigns now that Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are on new teams. After making his first All-Star team last season, he will look to repeat that feat and push for an All-NBA nod this year.
Once upon a time, Raptors fans remember Fred VanVleet becoming a father and turning into a flamethrower in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019. Perhaps Barnes can channel his new role into a strong season that elevates the team and sets him on another level individually.
Congratulations to Scottie Barnes and his family!
