Things were looking bleak for the Toronto Raptors heading home down 2–0 after two relatively lopsided losses to the Cavaliers in Cleveland. A lot needed to change for them to get back into the series, and while the home confines of Scotiabank Arena certainly helped, much of the credit should go to their superstar, Scottie Barnes.
The face of the franchise has had a coming-out party on the biggest stage so far this postseason, proving to be the best player on the floor in all aspects of the game. His play led the Raptors to back-to-back wins in Toronto, evening the series as it heads back to Cleveland for a pivotal Game 5.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic has been very complimentary of Barnes throughout his tenure, including one notable soundbite after a loss in January of 2024. Following Sunday afternoon’s win, Rajakovic was asked whether his past comments about Barnes’ potential match what we’re seeing now—and his answer shows just how highly he thinks of his star.
“No. I expect more from Scottie. Scottie’s going to bring more. Right now, the way he’s playing, he’s at 60% of the player he’s going to be in two to three years. Scottie is going to be one of the best players in the league—and he’s already one of the best players in the league. But how much he cares about winning is pushing him forward to do whatever it takes to win a game. That’s what makes him so special, so I expect him to continue getting better and improving,”
The 24-year-old Barnes has been putting up massive numbers through the first four games of the playoffs, averaging 25.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 7.3 APG.
While what he’s done so far has been impressive, if Barnes can find a way to propel the Raptors past the Cavaliers in a first-round upset, his reputation around the league will only continue to rise.
It won’t be easy to knock off Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and company, but Toronto has shown it won’t fold. And if the Raptors do advance, a second-round matchup with either Detroit or Orlando shouldn’t intimidate them.
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