Scottie Barnes needs one thing to become Raptors superstar

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is close to becoming the superstar the team needs.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes looks to pass beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes is off to one of the best starts to a season in his five-year career. He is averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

While his numbers aren't exactly career-highs, his efficiency has improved. He has made 50 per cent of his shots and nearly 39 per cent of his 3-point looks. Barnes has eyed consistency this season, which is why he is helping the Raptors to victory.

“Mostly I get rebounds, I get assists," Barnes said via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange. “People worry about points a lot. But just being able to get to that consistent number, consistently. Sometimes people see me go out there and play with force, sometimes they feel like I don’t go out there and play with force. But I know what I do out there on the floor.

"... That’s that next step for me. It’s about consistency. Everyone thinks that I had a really great game against Cleveland, but I think that I can do that every single night, so that doesn’t surprise me. It might surprise other people. I just have to go out there and show it.”

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes drives to the basket in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Barnes needs consistency to lead Raptors

Barnes is in his fifth season out of Florida State and he is approaching the prime of his career. Now that he has enough experience in the league, he is looking to apply it and translate it to wins for the Raptors.

“I know what I’m capable of, so just gotta bring that every single night,” Barnes said via Grange. “Be aggressive, attacking downhill, being aggressive on both ends, and I was just helping my teammates a lot. If someone gets beat, just trying to be help for them. So, just doing those things on both ends … (it) just opens up a lot for our team.”

Barnes is also earning the recognition from others around him, including head coach Darko Rajakovic, who has spent three seasons working with the former All-Star.

“I’ve been around a lot of talented players. He (Barnes) really learns from his experiences, good or bad,” Rajakovic said via Grange.

“That’s one thing that continues — I don’t want to say 'surprise' — to impress me, because he’s constantly finding ways to improve. Any hiccup that he might face or the team faces, he always comes back with a new approach, new energy, new experience, new solutions for those situations. He continues to get better every single day.”

If Barnes can figure out how to stay consistent over the course of a whole season, the Raptors could have their alpha for the future.