Raptors' Scottie Barnes Has NSFW Reaction to All-Defensive Teams

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is one of the best defenders in the NBA, but he still feels disrespected.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is disappointed, to say the least, after the league revealed the All-Defensive Teams.

Barnes was hoping and expecting to be among the top five players for the All-Defensive First Team. The fifth-year forward finished just shy of that goal and was the leading vote-getter for the All-Defensive Second Team.

To vent his frustration, Barnes took to social media with a colourful response.

Mannnn what do I tell ya🤦🏽‍♂️Bullshit😂 Let’s keep working😁❤️ https://t.co/KrtZBzKm9n

— Scott Barnes (@ScottBarnes561) May 23, 2026

Barnes Deserved First-Team Recognition

In terms of steals and blocks, Barnes averaged 2.87 per game this season, which ranked third in the NBA behind Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson and San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama. However, that wasn't enough for Barnes to land on the All-Defensive First Team.

Wembanyama, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, received 111 votes and was a unanimous selection for the first team. Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren was right behind him with 93 first-place votes and four second-place votes.

Thompson had 72 first-team ballots. Minnesota Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert came in fourth with 61. Boston Celtics guard Derrick White rounded out the group with 58 first-team votes. It appears that the other 42 voters opted for Barnes over White, putting the Raptors forward on the outside looking in for the vote.

Barnes can defend any position 1-5, which should be a factor when voting for the All-Defensive teams. It is skewed towards forwards and centres, so voters may have wanted a guard like White to get in there, but that shouldn't be a consideration for a positionless award.

Why Barnes Didn't Get In

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes drives to the basket defended by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The reasons behind Barnes coming up short in this metric have nothing to do with his own individual game. At the end of every season, journalists from around the league cast their ballots, and it's possible that White may have had more visibility than Barnes.

White plays for an established contender in the Celtics, who just won the NBA Finals two years ago, and White has been on the radar for voters for a longer period of time. Barnes statistically had a better year than White, but playing for a team like the Raptors that has not gotten as much attention in years past could have played a role in how this vote shook out.

Barnes had not received a lot of attention because of the Raptors' performance over the past few years, but their rise in the standings this season helped the two-time All-Star earn praise from around the league.

Now that the Raptors are on the rise and are viewed as one of the Eastern Conference's top teams, Barnes could be given the flowers he rightfully deserves.

It also looks like he will use this snub as fuel instead of being scorned, which could go a long way towards his future success.

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