RAPTORS BLOG: Scottie Barnes has never been better than in January of 2023

There’s still one more game to play this month, but safe to say January 2023 was a month to remember for Scottie Barnes.

It’s been covered to excess that Barnes did not use his rookie of the year win as a springboard to a dominant second season, at least early on. He didn’t look like the same player for much of October, November and even December. He didn’t look comfortable or particularly happy. The joyous way he played as a rookie had given way to a more brooding and less effective player.

But that was then. Starting from just before Christmas Barnes found another gear or two and has been the best player on the floor many nights, even on a team with Pascal Siakam and even against all-star level opponents.

Barnes has averaged 18.2 points on 51% shooting in January, along with 7.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, much-improved defence, just 1.5 turnovers per game and 5.6 trips to the free throw line a night. Even without a credible three-point threat (just 1.9 attempts and 31% shooting) he’s still making a huge impact. He’s also +86 since 2022 ended, more than twice the next-closest Raptor.

As a comparison, in January of his rookie season Barnes averaged only 12.6 points and 3.5 assists with 2.1 turnovers and shot just 42% from the field, averaging half as many free throw attempts. This start to 2023 has been night and day to the start Barnes had to 2022. 

Barnes would go on to have a solid February and a spectacular March, taking him past Evan Mobley in the rookie of the year voting in the end.

Let’s see how his second half goes this time around. He’s definitely trending in the right direction.

AROUND THE RIM

• Barnes is taking only one fewer shot a game compared to his dismal November, but he’s cut his three-point attempts by more than half and is getting to the free throw line nearly five times more often. Barnes is also turning over the ball way less. 
• Golden State shot 56% from the field against the Raptors, Portland 53% a night later. However, the shot spectrum was a lot different: The Warriors splashed in 18 three-pointers, shooting a blistering 42% from beyond the arc, while the Blazers shot just 29%, hitting only seven. That tied the season-low for makes against the Raptors this season. Surprisingly, given all their firepower, the Blazers only hit nine in the previous meeting between the two clubs.
• The 18 Warriors treys was one fewer than the season-high 19 Milwaukee hit against Toronto earlier this month. Only six teams are giving up more threes this month than the Raptors. Only San Antonio is allowing a higher shooting percentage than the 39.8% opponents have shot against Toronto. Why are teams lighting up the Raptors from deep and is it a trend or an anomaly? Well, there’s a number of reasons. Quality opponents, bad defending, schemes not working, luck. It’s not an anomaly since the team was third-last in three-point defence in December and ninth-worst in October (though November seems to be the oddity, when opponents shot only 34.4% on three-pointers).
• Only Jalen Brunson has averaged more minutes per game than Siakam’s 38.9 this month. VanVleet is tied with LeBron James for ninth, Gary Trent Jr. is tied for 12th and Barnes is 0.2 minutes a game behind Trent. Achiuwa’s only averaging around 22 a night in January, but that’s trending up and you can expect things to stay that way since he’s playing outstanding basketball. Achiuwa’s up to 29 minutes a game in his last nine games, nearly even with O.G. Anunoby (though Anunoby leaving early due to injuries has skewed his numbers a bit).
• Can’t wait to see London, Ont.’s own Shaedon Sharpe in the slam dunk contest. He can fly like few others.

THREE STARS

1 Precious Achiuwa

2 Damian Lillard

3 Scottie Barnes

Honourable mention: Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., Jerami Grant

THREE STARS VS WARRIORS

1 Stephen Curry

2 Fred VanVleet

3 Scottie Barnes

Honourable mention: Klay Thompson, Donte DiVincenzo, Jonathan Kuminga, Precious Achiuwa