Scottie Barnes Shaking Things Up as Raptors Captain

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is not only having the best statistical season of his career, but he is also stepping up to the plate as the team's leader.

Barnes has earned a stamp of approval from veteran forward Garrett Temple, who praised his leadership.

“He brings us together, and it's not just rah, rah stuff,” Temple said via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.

“Scottie’s taken the onus of using that time to speak up and make sure everybody knows exactly what our game plan is. He talks about stuff, maybe, that even the coaches haven't brought up, and everything is very specific. It's not a general, ‘come on, guys, let's win.' It's very specific for whatever we need to do to win the game we’re playing.”

Team USA Stars forward Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Scottie Barnes Stepping Up as Raptors Leader

Not only is Barnes motivating his teammates, but he has a better pulse on the locker room and knows which buttons to push. It's part of why the Raptors are having their best season since Barnes' rookie year.

“Another thing that he's done (this year) is he really understands how much his energy affects the team, positive and negative,” Temple said via Grange. “So he's understood how to be a little more even keel. It's not his nature to continue to be positive when negative things happen and continue to be aggressive emotionally when positive things happen. But I think he’s stepped up.”

Temple is not the only one noticing the changes in Barnes' demeanour. Second-year pro Ja'Kobe Walter has also recognized how Barnes has attacked things differently this season and how it has paid off.

“I mean, even just the jump from my first year to now, I feel like he's communicating more,” Walter said via Grange. “He's really showing how smart he is and how much he really understands the game. And you can tell how much he wants to win.

“He understands that a lot of eyes are on him and a lot of the weight is going to be put on him, so he’s always giving his all. He's always doing whatever he can offensively, defensively, to make sure we're locked in, make sure we're giving effort, putting us in the right spots … his leadership is huge for us, and it's gonna take us a long way.”

Barnes will take the Raptors as far as he can and the fact that his teammates are all on board adds even more synergy to the roster.

Scottie Barnes Stepping Up as Raptors Leader

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