There are plenty of ways to measure a basketball player’s contribution, but sometimes the most important thing is what he can do when a team runs out of easy answers. That’s where RJ Barrett is becoming particularly valuable to the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors have struggled in half-court offence this season, ranking 29th in the league. When opponents get back, establish their defence, and take away transition opportunities, Toronto has struggled to create good shots. Barrett is helping address that problem by doing something that sounds simple but is surprisingly difficult: getting to the basket.

He’s averaging 8.3 rim attempts per game, fourth-best in the NBA behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and Zion Williamson. He’s also averaging 15.3 drives per game, leading the Raptors. In his last two games alone, he has attempted 20 shots at the rim. No other Toronto player has managed more than eight.

Those numbers tell us something about how Barrett is playing, but there’s a bigger point here.

When Barrett Gets to the Rim, the Raptors Generate Offence

When Barrett attacks the basket, the opposing defence has to react. Help defenders have to decide whether to leave their assignments, and defenders who were comfortable guarding their own players suddenly have another problem to solve. That creates opportunities for teammates, whether Barrett finishes himself or finds someone else. It’s particularly important for a team that has struggled to manufacture offence against a set defence.

There’s another encouraging development. Barrett’s work as a pick-and-roll ball handler has improved considerably. He’s averaging 1.25 points per possession in those situations, compared with 0.93 last season. That’s a meaningful difference. He’s becoming more comfortable keeping his dribble alive, changing direction, creating space, and finding a way through traffic.

Barrett Is Becoming More Than a Straight-Line Scorer

For Raptors fans, this is worth watching. Barrett isn’t simply relying on his athleticism to get downhill. He’s developing more ways to make defenders uncomfortable. Of course, one player can’t solve an entire team’s offensive problems. Toronto needs other players to take advantage of the space Barrett creates, and it needs more consistent contributions across the lineup.

But Barrett is giving the Raptors a useful starting point. He can put pressure on a defence even when the game slows down, and the easy baskets disappear.

That’s not always the flashiest contribution, but it can be important. If Toronto is going to become a more dependable offensive team, having a player who can create something when nothing seems available is a pretty good place to begin.

Related: Scottie Barnes Can’t Solve This Raptors’ Problem Alone