RJ Barrett Can Become Elite Defender For Raptors

The Toronto Raptors have high hopes for the type of player RJ Barrett can become in the future.

Barrett turns 26 this offseason, which is around the league average for age, but the team still believes he can grow as a player, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.

"There is absolutely nothing that’s preventing him from being (an) elite two-way player,” Rajakovic said of Barrett via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.

“And that’s from Day 1 that he came over here. We're preaching that to him there is no physical attribute that he does not have, that he's capable of guarding one-through-four of anybody in the league. It’s just having that grit and mindset of doing it over and over and over again. And he showed us in moments that he is capable of doing it, but lately he's doing it in much longer periods of time, and that's really helping the team to win.”

RJ Barrett Has Room For Growth

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green speaks with Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Barrett has been on a tear offensively as of late. In the month of March, he has scored 16 or more points in each of the team's seven games, and he has reached the 20-point threshold in six of those games.

Rajakovic believes Barrett's offensive game has taken strides because of how well he's played on defence.

“Definitely, his offence is helping the team,” Rajakovic said via Grange.

“But to be honest with you, what he's doing really well lately is he's playing really good defence. And that's always the thing that then starts with him and starts with us, and that he has to do a good job there. When he does that, I really believe that when he plays with a lot of attention and effort on the defensive, I really think that helps his offence as well.”

The Raptors have two All-Stars in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, which establishes themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. However, the thing that separates the good and great teams is the role players behind the stars.

If Barrett can play on a level that is close to where Barnes and Ingram are on both ends of the floor, the Raptors will be a very dangerous team to watch in the playoffs come spring.

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