BARNES WINS R.O.Y. AS RAPTORS STAY ALIVE

NBA / Basketball

Written by Eddie Huband

It was quite a feel-good day for the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. In the same way, they got a feel-good win to avoid getting swept in the first round, Forward Scottie Barnes was crowned 2021-2022 NBA Rookie of the Year. It’s the third time a Raptor has even won it.

Source (Background Photos): Getty Images

The game itself felt much more like the Toronto Raptors that we’ve all gotten accustomed to seeing all year, which hasn’t been the case through what’s been a frustrating series up until this point.

But Barnes winning the award reminded us all of a broader perspective; that this season has been an overwhelming success no matter how this series ends. Of all the bright moments from this year, Barnes was arguably the brightest.

Cleveland forward Evan Mobley looked like the runaway favourite through the first three months, and Detroit guard Cade Cunningham finished the year on an impressive offensive run, building a credible case himself.

In the end, though, it was Barnes’ consistency, versatility, defensive impact, and the fact that he contributed to real team success that locked down the award.

Barnes’ performance this year was everything the Raptors could have dreamed of when he came in as somewhat of a project. His jumper is way less broken than many thought, he showed great poise at times initiating the Raptors offence, and he also was an absolute menace on the glass and the defensive end.

The scary thing is, he hasn’t scratched the surface of what his potential could be, which surely has Masai Ujiri excited about what this team could be two or three years down the line. Barnes’ numbers are outstanding for a rookie; 15.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 app 49% fg, but they don’t tell the whole story of his game, it's all the intangibles that he brings like getting a key offensive rebound or coming out of nowhere for a basket-saving block that make him truly special.

He’s one of those guys that just has a nose for the basketball. It’s a shame for Toronto that he got hurt early in this series because if he had been on the court in games two and three the outcome could be very different right now.

Speaking of which, let’s circle back to the Philly series.

The Sixers will probably win game five given how well they’ve played at home and how dominant Embiid has been throughout this series. Having said that, Toronto figured some stuff out a little bit in game four, and having Barnes on the court changes the complexion of the series.

Fred VanVleet exited game four with a knee injury that likely will keep him out for the remainder of the year, but that might be a blessing in disguise for Toronto. After he left the game, they seem to be clicking with a bigger lineup.

It has to be said, Freddy hasn’t been very good at all in this matchup. It’s not his fault mind you; he’s been dealing with a knee injury since the All-Star break, and he also played the most minutes in the league over the first half of the season. His body clearly looks broken down from the wear and tear, which would explain the 33% shooting from 3-point range and the fact that he’s getting blown by virtually every time down the court.

Don’t be surprised if Toronto looks for a backup point guard that Nick Nurse can actually trust this offseason to help lighten some of that load and keep VanVleet fresher for the playoffs.

Now that he’s out of the picture, the Sixers won’t be able to hunt him in the pick and roll at will.

If Toronto can somehow manage to steal game five, then it’s back to game six with a wild homeport and no Mattise Thybulle. You can also bet that the internal and external pressure on Harden and Embiid would be cranked up. I can see the headlines now; “Will Harden and Embiid blow 3-0 lead?”

On top of all that, Embiid is dealing with a finger injury and the longer this series goes the more chances that take a toll on his game.

Philly will probably win game five and end this series, but is there a roadmap for a Toronto comeback? I guess we’ll find out how game five plays out.