Scottie Barnes Shares Message for Raptors Fans Who Want to Tank

Scottie Barnes said he remains focused on making sure the Toronto Raptors can get into the play-in tournament this season

Feb 12, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) lets out a yell during player introductions before a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Scottie Barnes doesn’t care about lottery odds.

Ask him about tanking or the league’s reverse standings, and he’ll scoff. He’s not checking mock drafts or speculating about which top college prospects might join the Toronto Raptors this summer. The off-court chatter about lottery positioning? Completely irrelevant.

What Barnes cares about are the real standings.

“We’re still in that fight,” he said Thursday after practice. “We still could make something happen. That’s my motivation. When I look at (the standings), I see that we still have a chance.”

And he’s not wrong.

Toronto sits five games behind the Chicago Bulls for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. It’s a sizeable gap, but the Raptors have the league’s easiest remaining schedule, while the Bulls have shown little interest in pushing for the playoffs. The door, however slightly, remains open.

“We feel like we still want to win,” Barnes continued. “We feel great going into every single game with the mindset and focus of trying to get better and trying to achieve that goal of winning.”

But the reality is, the organization has other plans.

Toronto has made it clear that staying in the lottery is the priority. The front office wants to add a top pick to a young core that has shown flashes of promise this season and use it as a springboard toward long-term contention.

“We really need to focus on seeing those marginal gains and improvements with each of the players,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajaković. “We've got to approach it that way and be able to see the bigger picture.”

That means more minutes for the team’s younger prospects. Ja’Kobe Walter is going to see an expanded role, as will Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo, and Jamison Battle. Whether they rise to the occasion or struggle through growing pains, the experience will be valuable. If they find ways to win with real development, that's fine. If not, Toronto drifts further down the standings—exactly where the front office wants to be.

A significant portion of the fanbase is on board with that plan. Wins are nice, but not at the expense of sustainable long-term success.

Barnes, however, wants no part of it.

“I don’t really give a damn about it,” he said. “I’m trying to go out there and win games, try to possibly make something happen. So, they can try to be excited for that, but my mindset’s in a different place.”