Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes puts on a show against Celtics

In just his second NBA game, Scottie Barnes was by far the best player for the Toronto Raptors in a convincing win over the Boston Celtics.

What’s the best way to get over a brutal start to the season, bounce back with a dominant performance on the road and that’s what the Toronto Raptors did against the Boston Celtics on Friday.

It was rookie Scottie Barnes who led the charge which is not something many would have expected but you bet the Raptors will gladly accept it. What they will also appreciate is how the team made sure to stick to what makes them successful. Take advantage of their versatility on defence.

As good as Toronto was on defence, what they were going to need was someone to take the charge offensively which is why Barnes’ performance was crucial. The main reason why was because OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet continue to struggle with their offensive production early on.

Fortunately, on a night like this, the rest of the team was able to step up and produce even if it took some time to get things going. Hopefully, VanVleet and Anunoby can get things going offensively and once Pascal Siakam returns, the Raptors can show that they are not a team destined to be out of the playoffs.

Toronto Raptors making right call putting Scottie Barnes in situations to showcase skills

The Raptors surprised many when they decided to select Barnes with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, after just two games, it appears many are starting to see the potential the Raptors evaluators saw.

Sure, it’s still early in the season but any progress Barnes can make especially with the Raptors asking him to be in the starting lineup against a talented Celtics team is worth getting excited about. He scored 25 points on 11-17 shooting and was a force in the paint with 13 rebounds.

There were some that believe that Barnes would be a worthy contender for Rookie of the Year but he will have some steep competition. Opportunities like Friday will help showcase Barnes to the rest of the NBA.

The Raptors have shown over the years that they know when to loosen the rope with their rookies and when is the right time to pull them back a bit. This will be crucial for Barnes because he is bound to have an off-night and can’t let that put him down too much.

At this rate, Nick Nurse will gladly provide Barnes with the opportunity to be a significant contributor as he needs to work on his offensive game. Getting the confidence to know he can be an offensive leader for the Raptors is definitely a step in the right direction.

What are your thoughts on the Raptors’ performance against the Celtics? Can we expect Barnes to continue to play like this or is it asking too much? Let us know in the comments below.