Scottie Barnes has started his third season with a point to prove.
With some stagnation from his rookie to sophomore season, fans were awaiting for Barnes to make a leap this season. Seven games in and it seems that he is making that leap and then some.
This season has a chance to be truly special for Barnes. He is averaging 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.1 blocks. His shooting has been extremely efficient at 51.3% from the field and 42.1% from 3.
As the Raptors continued their road trip on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs, it seemed like it was going to get ugly. Toronto was down 22 points and managed to will themselves to an overtime victory, 123-116.
Barnes was the driving force for this comeback for the Raptors. He finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks and 5 3-pointers.
Barnes scored 17 points in the fourth quarter. He went on a personal 8-2 run, hit many clutch triples, including one to tie the game with less than a minute to go. A truly masterful performance from the 22-year-old.
Sunday’s game made it six straight games of Barnes scoring 20+ points, further proving the potential he has on both sides of the ball.
In his first two years in the league, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam were the main two scoring options. Now that VanVleet has left, Barnes has spread his wings and has been showcasing what he can do for the team on a night to night basis.
Scottie Barnes has clearly been the best player for the Raptors as he leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks so far:
Scottie Barnes this season:
— 23/10/6
— 51/42%
— 1st in stocks by a non-center
— Only player with 15+ 3P and 15+ BLKLeading the Raptors in points, rebounds and blocks. https://t.co/IgJfa335MS
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 6, 2023
Next up for Barnes and the Raptors
The Raptors will have a few days off before continuing their road trip against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 8.
Toronto holds a 1-1 record on their four game road trip with the finale against the Boston Celtics on Nov. 11.
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