Toronto Raptors young star Scottie Barnes has not played since March 1, when he suffered a hand injury that ultimately required surgery and left him sidelined indefinitely. With it having been less than two weeks since the surgery, Barnes is likely nowhere near ready for a return, but the Raptors would love to get their cornerstone back into the lineup before the season ends if at all possible.
There haven’t been any new updates on Barnes in the two weeks since the injury. And with the season only 16 games away from its conclusion, it’s possible that Barnes may run out of time to make that return. But he gave some room for optimism in his first public appearance since surgery on Wednesday.
Barnes gave an update on where he’s at in the recovery process and if the injury is something to be concerned about moving forward, via the Toronto Raptors:
“Getting better day by day. Just takes some time but otherwise I’m feeling really good.”
“I just think it was just like a weird injury, the way it happened.”
In the meantime, Barnes is getting a courtside view as his teammates step up in his absence. With the amount of injuries the Raptors have, plenty of new names are getting an opportunity to shine, and that’s something Barnes is extremely happy about:
“I’m super excited for them. Being able to see them boys play and enjoy it. They have the opportunity out there right now and they’re taking advantage of it. So, it’s fun.”
The Raptors don’t have anything left to compete for this season, so some underappreciated players getting the chance to prove they belong in the NBA is a nice consolation prize for Barnes and the other injured Raptors starters. But the building blocks are all in place for Toronto to have a quality team next season.
If Barnes can return before the end of the season, he’ll have a chance to play alongside some of the players he’s watched improve over the course of this injury and trade-filled season.
Raptors closing in on better lottery odds
Another reason to potentially keep Barnes out for the remainder of the season is the improved lottery odds that could come with continued losses. They need to have a top six pick in order to retain their draft choice, otherwise it goes to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade.
They are a half-game up on the Memphis Grizzlies for the sixth-worst record in the NBA.
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