This was supposed to be Scottie Barnes’ season.
The Toronto Raptors made a series of trades in December and January to make Barnes the face of the team and he was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career in February.
The revamped Raptors began to develop chemistry with Barnes at the center of head coach Darko Rajakovic’s tactical schemes and they enjoyed a modest three-game winning streak that put them in contention for a playoff spot.
But then Barnes underwent surgery to repair a broken hand that ended his season on March 4, and a cascade of injuries to his teammates followed. Canadian RJ Barrett and point guard Immanuel Quickley missed playing time to mourn the death of a family member and the NBA launched an investigation into irregular betting by backup center Jontay Porter.
All of these misfortunes sent Toronto into a 15-game tailspin, the second-longest losing streak in team history, and the Raptors finished the season ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 25-57.
“I wasn’t really frustrated, it was a freak accident and God has a plan for me,” Barnes said, with a visible scar on his hand. But in the last month, I was injured and it was frustrating to see us lose and not be able to be on the field with the guys. I don’t take it for granted. It’s always a blessing. I see it as just a way to grow as a leader. »
That positive reframing was a theme Monday as the Raptors held end-of-season news conferences after cleaning out their lockers. Barnes said while his efficiency has improved — he posted per-game averages of 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 60 games this season — it’s his personal growth that he appreciates. .
“For me, it was just about being a really good teammate who was there throughout the season to encourage, lead, talk and be positive,” Barnes said. It wasn’t a good season with the record, but we appreciated everyone’s presence and we just tried to stay positive through it all. »
Starting center Jakob Poeltl was the first domino to fall after Barnes’ injury. The veteran underwent surgery to heal a torn ligament in his finger.
Barrett, from Mississauga, Ontario, was traded from the New York Knicks to the Raptors along with Quickley on December 30. He missed nine games to mourn the death of his younger brother Nathan.
The Canadian winger mentioned that although the season was difficult for him and his Raptors teammates, he believes that adversity will make them stronger in the upcoming campaign.
“If you look at all the trades and everything that’s happened this year, I think it would be difficult for any team to be able to get going that quickly,” he noted, adding that he had difficulty adjusting to constant roster changes before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. I think having the summer to train together, figure things out, and then come to training camp on the same page, that will be huge. »
Center Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, British Columbia, was added to the team at the trade deadline along with forward Ochai Agbaji in a trade with the Utah Jazz. Olynyk and Barrett will represent Canada at the Paris Olympic Games this summer.
2024-04-15 21:37:00
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