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Toronto's top player has dealt with unfortunate injuries in the past and he avoided another one during Tuesday's thumping of the Bucks.
Published Nov 05, 2025 • 4 minute read
Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) drives past Milwaukee Bucks' Myles Turner (3) during Tuesday's game.
Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) drives past Milwaukee Bucks' Myles Turner (3) during Tuesday's game. The Canadian Press
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Brandon Ingram has played as advertised, even though he didn’t play a single game last season when the Raptors pulled the trigger on the deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.
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RJ Barrett has been at his efficient best, even though there’s no assurance he’ll be with the Raptors beyond this season — if not shipped out sooner.
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Immanuel Quickley provided the type of performance from the point position in Tuesday’s rout of the visiting Milwaukee Bucks that does bode well.
Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has returned to a more comfortable role as a reserve with Jakob Poeltl back in the starting group, even though the big man is not as his best following a bout with lower back stiffness.
At 4-4 and with the Raptors about to begin a five-game trip, there have been good signs, but also bad stretches and the kind of uneven play associated with a team that remains a work in progress.
Defence must be addressed, but against Milwaukee the Raptors did unleash an offence that spoke to the team’s unselfish play, even though it was against a Bucks team playing the second game of a back-to-back set.
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The NBA’s season always evens out in the long run.
Mission Accomplished
When a scheduling opportunity arrives, teams must capitalize, which is precisely what the Raptors accomplished.
During their two-game stay in Texas, the Raptors’ defence was completely exposed, capped off by a loss in San Antonio on a night Toronto played its second game of its back-to-back set.
Eight games into an 82-season and the one player who does inspire optimism is Scottie Barnes.
Barnes is in his fifth season and is showing the signs he displayed in his rookie campaign when he was surrounded by the likes of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet.
Toronto would advance to the post-season with Barnes earning NBA rookie honors.
This year’s edition of the Raptors isn’t as good, at least not now, but Barnes is evolving into a better version of himself, which is why there’s hope.
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About the only area one can nitpick about Barnes’ game is his lack of trips to the charity stripe. In a lopsided home loss to Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets, Barnes attempted six free throws. In the ensuing three games, he has been to the line a total of six times.
Part of it has to do with the flow of an offence that has seen the ball move quickly.
Aggressive Edge
The other part has to do with Barnes lacking an aggressive edge in attacking the rim. One suspects it will improve because Barnes has shown a knack for self-improvement.
Toronto has now won three games in a row. In the team’s past two wins, Barnes has recorded seven blocks, while dishing off 14 assists and turning the ball over three times.
Albeit, it is a small sample size, but while watching Barnes, it’s not hard to notice how his game is improving knowing more improvement awaits.
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In the Raptors’ 128-100 beatdown of the Bucks, Barnes needed 16 attempts from the field to score 23 points.
He’s Toronto’s best defender and, next to Ingram, the team’s best scorer.
Ingram is not known for his defence and likely will never turn into a defensive stopper, but the Raptors can live with it when schemes are designed to mask his deficiency.
When he’s rolling on offence, not many defenders can guard him while Barnes can be equally unguardable when he’s operating from the mid-post.
Sky’s The Limit
If — and it’s a big if — he’s able to develop a consistent three-point shot, the sky’s the limit.
So far, he has being making shots from the three-point arc. Keep in mind the season is early.
“The league is in trouble then, I think,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said when asked about the consequences of the 24-year-old Barnes being able to sustain his perimeter prowess.
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“He’s such a player that he plays with so much force on both ends of floor. He’s a good rim finisher and he can handle the ball.
“He’s not even close to being where he’s going to be in four or five years from now. That kid is just improving so much and adding so much to his game … he’s going to be a big-time player.”
Twice, both at home, the Raptors have seen a big-time player in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter Tuesday night.
In Dallas, the Raptors went up against a big-time player in Anthony Davis. One night later, they faced Victor Wembanyama, who is on the path to be the game’s ultimate big-time player.
One can never project injuries, an area Barnes has dealt with in the past. During the second quarter Tuesday, he left the game in obvious discomfort after his left hand got tangled under Sandro Mamukelashvili’s arm as the two battled Antetokounmpo.
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Fortunately for the Raptors, Barnes was back when the second half resumed.
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[Raptors' RJ Barrett (9) drives through Memphis Grizzlies' Cam Spencer (24) and Cedric Coward (23) during first half NBA action in Toronto on Sunday.
Raptors defeat weakened Memphis Grizzlies to earn their first two-game win streak](https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-defeat-the-weakened-memphis-grizzlies-to-earn-their-first-win-streak)
2. [Raptors' Immanuel Quickley (5) shoots between Cavaliers' De'Andre Hunter (12) and Craig Porter Jr. (9) in first half NBA Cup action in Cleveland, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.
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Barnes needs to stay healthy for the Raptors to have any chance of securing one of the top six seeds in the Eastern Conference.
Luck has not been kind to Barnes, but perhaps Tuesday’s near miss showed the kinder side to Lady Luck.
A year ago, Barnes suffered an ankle sprain when he collided with New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
There was the orbital bone fracture suffered when Barnes was on the receiving end of an inadvertent elbow by Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic.
Ingram’s presence might soften the blow of any potential injury to Barnes, offensively speaking that is.
Safe to say Barnes has to be healthy enough to play for the Raptors to succeed.
fzicarelli@postmedia.com
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