Darko Rajakovic wears many hats.
As the Head Coach, he takes his leadership seriously, stands up for his players, and is always open and forthcoming. As an Offensive Coordinator, his system which encourages multiple passes and cuts has resulted the Raptors finishing in the top 7 in assists in each of his first two seasons (and currently 2nd this year). As a Defensive Coordinator, Darko’s schemes and rotations have boosted the Raptors from the 17th-ranked defense last season to 4th, as of this writing.
One hat I did not think Darko would wear was that of a psychic. Back in October 2023, before his first game as Head Coach, Rajakovic proclaimed, “I think one day he’s going to be Defensive Player of the Year. That’s something he wants to be, that he wants to develop into, and I’m going to do everything in my power to help him on that path.” (You can disregard the heaps of praise he bestows on Dennis Schroder. That definitely does not fall into the ‘psychic’ category, but the ‘head coach’ category of Darko’s hats)
Barnes has been a revelation this year. Not the kind of revelation where a player comes out of nowhere to shock everyone, but a revelation to the rest of the NBA. Scottie has been a defensive menace throughout his five seasons in the league. However, playing for lottery teams in each of the last two seasons, preceded by two seasons under Nick Nurse where he wasn’t fully unleashed has kept Barnes’ defensive reputation at bay. Locally, Raptors fans are well aware of what Scottie brings to the table defensively, night in and night out.
This season has been an endless stream of defensive highlights. From blocking LeBron James in the final minute of a tie game, to blocking Collin Sexton to secure a victory over Charlotte, to blocking a potential game-tying mid-range attempt by Chet Holmgren, Barnes’ defense has become a regular fixture in Toronto’s game recaps. Not only is he saving the Raptors, but also looking out for people’s health! What a saint!
The stats match what the eyes see. Scottie Barnes’ name is all over the defensive stats pages. Barnes is (big inhale):
* #1 in total stocks
* #1 in blocks in the 4th quarter
* #1 in blocks in the clutch (under 5 minutes, margin within 5 points)
* #3 in defensive win shares
* the only player in the NBA with at least 60 steals AND 60 blocks
The individual numbers only paint part of the picture of Barnes’ impact. Check the last sentence of the first paragraph again. Your eyes do not deceive you. The Toronto Raptors have the 4th-best defense in the league! The team’s other above-average defenders have either been injured (Jakob Poeltl), inconsistent (Ja’Kobe Walter), or have only started to play more minutes (Collin Murray-Boyles). Jamal Shead has been solid, but nowhere near the impact of Barnes.
Scottie’s DPOY case only becomes stronger when considering Poeltl’s been out since mid-December. The Raptors have played 18 games without a true Center…..and its defensive rating has increased!
The current buzz around Barnes is nice to see, but Raptors fans know it will take a lot more than stats and highlights to win over the voters. Let’s take a look at the 3 players with better DPOY odds — Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama, and Rudy Gobert.
**Chet Holmgren: Teamwork makes Chet’s dream work**
The case for Chet is clear as day: he’s the anchor behind the league’s best defense. Holmgren ranks #1 in defensive win shares, #2 in defensive rating, and #3 in blocks per game. The individual numbers, combined with the potentially record-breaking defensive numbers — the gap between OKC’s 105.4 defensive rating and 2nd-place San Antonio’s 108.6 defensive rating would be the largest margin in NBA history — justifies Holmgren’s place at the top of the betting odds.
However, take a closer look at the rankings and their may be a kink in his armor. Just behind Chet in the defensive win shares standings is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2nd), Cason Wallace (4th), and Ajay Mitchell (8th). In the defensive rating list, Holmgren is followed by Wallace (3rd), Mitchell (7th), SGA (10th), and Lu Dort (13th). Is it a stretch to think that Wallace, who ranks 1st in total steals and 3rd in steals per game, might steal some votes from Chet? Is the Thunder’s defense more of a collective effort rather than an individual? If Chet misses a game, there are still 3-4 other premium defenders ready to pick up the slack! (That group doesn’t even include Alex Caruso, 2-time All-Defense, or Jalen Williams, who was on last season’s All-Defense team)
Also, if the voting came down to Scottie vs. Chet, Barnes might have a leg up.
**Victor Wembanyama: Out of this world and out of the running?**
The case for and against Wemby is set for the next decade (assuming the league keeps the ridiculous 65-game rule): if Victor is healthy enough to play the minimum number of required games, he should be the favourite to win DPOY. Every. Single. Year.
As it stands right now, Wemby has missed 14 games already this season. If he misses 4 games or more the rest of the way, he will be ineligible for the award.
**Rudy Gobert: Sure but why?**
Outside of citizens from Minnesota and France, who can tell me why Gobert is in the ‘favourites’ tier with Holmgren and Wembanyama?
Minnesota’s 10th-ranked defense is lower than Toronto. Gobert ranks lower than Barnes in defensive rating, defensive win shares, and defensive box plus/minus. Rudy doesn’t have the same defensive demands since he plays alongside 2 wings, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels (Did I double-check I had the right McDaniels? You’ll never know.), who are better defenders than any Raptor other than Barnes. So, Gobert is more deserving than Barnes because he averages 2.9 more rebounds and 0.2 more blocks? Is this a legacy thing? Make it make sense, oddsmakers!
**Is Barnes ready to buck the trend?**
The obvious theme between Holmgren, Wembanyama, and Gobert is that they’re all paint-devouring, rim-protecting Centers. From Bill Russell to Hakeem Olajuwon to David Robinson to Shaquille O’Neal, the Defensive Player of the Year award has defaulted to big men for as long as the honour has existed. But in the current NBA, when switching and rotating and scrambling are the name of the defensive game, there’s nothing more valuable than a player who can defend all 5 positions a perfectly as Scottie Barnes.
He already has a better case than Gobert. He outperformed Holmgren — both statistically and visually — in a matchup that will stick in voters’ minds. He is 4 more missed games from not having to worry about an alien. Scottie Barnes has the statistical profile, the eye-popping highlights, and is gaining traction as this year’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Darko the Psychic has a good ring to it, don’t you think?
See More:
* [Raptors Analysis](/raptors-analysis)
* [Raptors Features](/raptors-features-profiles)