Scottie Barnes Strategy Change Could Save Raptors Season

The Toronto Raptors are 5-1 this season when Scottie Barnes has 10 or more assists.

Twice this season, Barnes has gone a step further by notching a triple-double. Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley believes the Raptors All-Star will be able to add another triple-double to his repertoire by the end of the season.

"It's tempting to make a standings-related prediction, but not even the trusty crystal ball can make sense of the Eastern Conference's cluttered middle class," Buckley wrote.

"It does, however, see a triple-double in Barnes' future. He's had two of them this season, but both came back in December. (Four games apart from one another, actually.)

"Toronto needs a ramp-up in production, though. Depth has been an issue all season, and it's been magnified by the Raptors' recent run of bad luck on the injury front. They'll need everything they can get from Barnes, and given the wide reach of his skill set, that should be an awful lot."

Scottie Barnes Needs to Facilitate More For Raptors

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes controls the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones defends. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are struggling in terms of injuries, with Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram missing the team's last game against the Utah Jazz. If these injuries persist and last for a couple more games, it could push the Raptors outside of the playoff picture.

Therefore, the Raptors need to put Barnes back into that facilitating role once again. Barnes flashed some of that potential during the game against the Jazz by scoring 20 points and dishing out 10 assists in a 16-point victory. If he is going to continue making winning plays for the Raptors, it will likely come with the ball in his hand, setting his teammates up for success.

Barnes makes his money on the defensive end of the court, but he also has a knack for finding his teammates offensively when given the opportunity. While Barnes isn't as strong of a shooter as some of the other players on the team, he makes up for it by putting his teammates in the right place to succeed.

There isn't necessarily an exact number that Barnes needs to hit in order for the Raptors to be successful, but the more the merrier. Toronto's offence is clicking at its peak when Barnes is getting other players involved.

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