TORONTO – It’s been the better part of eight months since Scottie Barnes played in a regular season NBA game. A week before the Toronto Raptors’ home opener, he feels ready.
Barnes, 23, missed the final 22 games of last season after undergoing surgery March 1 for a broken bone in his hand. He now has three more preseason games and one exhibition before Toronto hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 23.
“The way we play and the way we have to play throughout the season, it’s going to be a very tough task,” Barnes said of his level of preparation. “We need to move our bodies, get enough rest, get good treatment and be active with the training staff to make sure our bodies are ready.
“But conditioning-wise, I feel pretty good.”
Barnes certainly played well in three preseason games.
He recorded 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals in 20 minutes in a 113–95 loss to the Washington Wizards on October 11, his first game back after injury. Two days later, he had 10 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound in a 115–11 loss to the Celtics in Boston.
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Most impressively, Barnes nearly recorded a triple-double in Tuesday’s 119-118 win over Boston, posting 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in 30 minutes, his most playing time in months. Those numbers are also in contrast to most of the starting five for the Celtics, who won their 18th NBA championship last season.
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The Raptors are scheduled to conclude the preseason with a road game against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Barnes said the approach is simple before the regular season begins a week later.
“We’ve been consistent,” Barnes said after practice Wednesday at the OVO Athletic Center. “Keep doing what we do, play the right way, play smart and keep doing what we do.”
Backup point guard Davion Mitchell, who nursed a sprained thumb that cost him time as a starter alongside Immanuel Quickley, had more to say about what Toronto needs to do to prepare for the important game against Cleveland.
“I think it’s about continuing to learn from each other and staying connected on defense while also finishing possessions,” he said. ” I think the first game we played against Boston (October 13th) we didn’t complete many possessions. They got a lot of easy points from 50/50, balls and second chance points that didn’t box out.
“Then we talked about it, watched film, and actually worked on it. And in the next game, I don’t think there will be that many second chance points, so we’ll have to keep talking. Continue to learn from each other.”
Mitchell has been one of the highlights of the Raptors’ preseason, putting consistent defensive pressure on opposing ball handlers. He also recorded a double-double against the Celtics on Tuesday with nine points, 10 assists, three rebounds and one steal.
He said he is unsure what his role will be on the team when Quickley and swingman RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., return from injury, but said he is continuing to have conversations with coach Darko Rajkovic about next steps.
“I know my role is going to be a little bit smaller, but I’m still going to play my best defensively and get my teammates open like I’ve been doing in the preseason,” he said.
Razakovic said he expects the players to spend as much time as possible over the next seven days in practice and in Friday’s game in Brooklyn.
“We just have to focus on maximizing every day,” he said. “We’re seven days away from the home opener, but we have to look at this whole season as one big chunk.
“The main focus is for us to play hard, learn what it means to play hard, and fine-tune from there.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
