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Scottie Barnes Acknowledges He Can Do Better This Summer as Raptors Key on His Development
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Year 2 was a bit of a wake-up call for Scottie Barnes.
For now, it’s nothing too concerning. The 21-year-old reigning Rookie of the Year was just fine as a sophomore. He didn’t quite live up to expectations, he acknowledged that, but it was far from a disaster. He was, generally speaking, the same player he’d been as a rookie for the Toronto Raptors, a lackluster shooter with a prolific playmaking package, who played inconsistent and at times disappointing on-ball defense.
This summer, though, Barnes can’t take it easy.
“I’d say probably just change up my conditioning-wise, just try to get a lot of conditioning in,” said Barnes who reportedly had disappointed the organization with his offseason workouts last summer. “I feel I probably need a different level of conditioning for the way I want to play.”
Barnes eased up on his self-criticism a little bit when pressed on the topic. He said he didn’t think his conditioning has a “super” impact on the way he played, but he said he does want to get in better shape to help his defense.
“I felt like I’m in pretty good condition, but I just want to take it to another level with my training,” he said. “I always play with a lot of energy when I’m out there on the floor, try to stay locked in. That’s just something I try to focus on.”
Nobody is going to disagree with him.
“Just get in the lab. That’s it. That is the only thing I ever tell him,” Fred VanVleet said of Barnes. “Scottie is going to be as good as he wants to be, as good as he wants to be as a player. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do on the court, but just be a gym rat. Stay in the gym. That will speed up the process and he’s doing that.”
Skills-wise, it’s the offensive end Barnes needs to work on the most if he wants to take the next step. He can throw virtually every pass imaginable, but his pass-first mentality is inhibited by his sub-pass shooting. He regressed as a shooter this past year from every area on the court and every shot available.
That can’t happen again.
“If you’re gonna be an All-Star or a great player in this league, you’ve got to score,” Nurse said prior to Toronto’s final regular season game. “I say this too about him: He likes to pass the ball. I keep saying the same thing: Unless you can score, first, a little bit, here and there, you’re not gonna be drawing multiple defenders or drawing schemes that will enable you to hit the open man.”
Toronto wants Barnes to develop into a modern do-it-all forward who can handle the pick-and-roll, screen for others, punish smaller defenders, and create mismatch nightmares for whoever is defending him.
“I think, as always, just to round out your offense, in general, you’ve got to have some spacing so being able to knock down – they can’t disrespect you from three or they can’t plug gaps off some of your other guys, you gotta make ‘em pay,” said Nurse.
Barnes shot 30.1% on his catch-and-shoot threes this season and 29.6% on “Wide Open” three-pointers in which the defender was at least six feet away from him at the time of the shot, per NBA Tracking Data. Of 145 players who attempted at least 120 of those so-called wide-open threes this year, only Giannis Antetokounmpo had a worse shooting percentage.
“There are some days he looks really good out there,” Nurse said of Barnes’ shooting. “That is just some new territory for guys who aren’t used to shooting it. Not only does it take a lot of mechanical skill work and it becomes part of a mindset. We talk about the stages of becoming a viable 3-point shooter. I think he’s making progress up those stages.”
But Barnes knows he has to be better. Everything Toronto is planning for its future comes down to it. The Raptors will only go as far as Barnes takes them. And for now, it’s OK if his development hasn’t panned out as the organization would have hoped. Next year he has a chance to prove this season was merely a speedbump.
Further Reading
Raptors locked into 13th spot in draft lottery with 1% chance at top selection
Gary Trent Jr. has big goals that Raptors may not be able to fit as free agency looms
Pascal Siakam says he'd 'love' to be in Toronto but his Raptors future remains complicated
