Raptors’ Barnes acknowledged for offering profitable defensive performs

TORONTO – If superstar-level status is the purpose, ultimately you’ll need that award part of your Wikipedia web page or Basketball Reference profile to start out filling up. 

It’s been some time since Scottie Barnes added one thing to his resume, a brand new title, a brand new award. 

Of course, his Rookie of the Year win in 2022 stays the crowning achievement, adopted carefully by his first and solely All-Star choice in 2024. He was additionally named the participant of the week for the primary time in late January 2025. 

But amid a sterling defensive season, Barnes is lastly being acknowledged for his efforts on the tip he constructed his status on. 

For the primary time in his younger profession, Barnes was named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October and November. And whereas it’s a comparatively new award, solely created forward of the 2024-25 season, it places Barnes in a outstanding class of defensive stalwarts, becoming a member of him with defensive gamers of the 12 months like Jaren Jackson Jr., Evan Mobley and Draymond Green, in addition to the preemptive favorite to win each DPOY from now till his retirement, Victor Wembanyama. All this to say, it’s not a nothing award. 

And for a staff struggling to recapture the explosiveness of their offence over the course of their earlier nine-game win streak, a sturdy defensive exhibiting from their star would go a great distance in the event that they hoped to interrupt a two-game dropping streak forward of some key matchups with the Lakers, Celtics, and a rematch with the Knicks within the NBA Cup quarterfinal subsequent week. 

They received that on Tuesday, and whereas the boxscore could not present it — with Barnes’ affect extra apparent on offence with 28 factors, seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks on 55.6 per cent from the sphere and 42.9 per cent from three-point vary — Barnes’ injury on defence got here from an elevated understanding of how the sport is taking part in out in entrance of him and a willingness to tackle all comers. 

Part of what’s helped him turn into a participant worthy of the Defensive Player of the Month has been his rising understanding of his place within the NBA, one thing that may solely include expertise.

“A big part of that is the work he’s putting in, dedication, studying the players, getting to know the league. It’s year five for him,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic stated about his award-winning ahead. “He’s continuing to improve in every single aspect.”

Studying has been an enormous deal for Barnes, and it pays off when requested to change one-through-five, and guard guys with wildly completely different skillsets — just like the lengthy, three-point capturing Jerami Grant, or Swiss Army knife point-forward Deni Avdija, or defensive stopper Toumani Camara. It takes a ton of understanding to understand how greatest to tackle a type of guys, not to mention all three. 

While all three completed with strong numbers on the evening — Grant had 19, Camara had 21, and Avdija had 25 on six-of-15 from the sphere — there have been stretches the place every felt invisible, or not less than hampered by slight variations of stress Barnes was in a position to throw on them.

Look at Grant within the early goings. Barnes began the sport with him as his major task and held him to solely three factors within the first half. He wasn’t face-guarding Grant — the Blazers wing stood within the nook for probably the most half. Instead, Barnes stood simply far sufficient away that it erased the specter of Grant’s three-point shot, realizing he may get well, and it allowed the Raptors stalwart to operate as a assist defender on the within. 

For many of the recreation, Barnes was a shadow. He completed and not using a steal as a result of he was hardly ever getting the chance to actually nab a go. But like cornerbacks in soccer, the most effective to play the place don’t rack up large interception numbers as a result of the ball doesn’t get into their airspace within the first place.

“I think rim protection, his deflections, playing off the ball and just roaming on defence, recognizing situations,” Rajakovic stated of Barnes’ situational consciousness and the way he impacts the sport defensively. “He’s doing a really good job there apart from being elite on the ball as well.”

But Barnes wasn’t gonna go and not using a keystone second on the defensive finish. He simply gained the award, he needed to present the followers precisely why he did. 

With solely seconds to go and the Raptors up 4, Barnes discovered himself in his common spot: guarding the shooter, Kris Murray, within the nook, whereas leaving simply sufficient house to get well for a contest on the perimeter and assistance on defence ought to the Blazers assault the rim.

Avdija opted for the drive, going at Jamal Shead along with his left and taking it to the rim. So Barnes rotated to assist and swatted the try with 8.5 seconds to go, just about sealing the win for the Raptors.

It was the second game-winning block of the season for Barnes, proving precisely why he was named the Eastern Conference’s high defensive participant, and offering the profitable performs on the core of the Raptors’ identification this season.

“That was great. It all comes down to winning, so I’m happy to get the win,” Barnes stated of the award after the sport, not making an enormous deal of it.

Even throughout the outing, the attract of a brand new trophy didn’t appear to part Barnes a lot. 

After the primary timeout within the opening body, the staff performed a tribute video to Barnes, congratulating him on his win. Not as soon as did Barnes search for, acknowledge the jumbotron, or present a touch of pleasure about being the most effective defender within the East. 

Instead, he sat on the bench, locked into his staff’s huddle, watched his head coach draw up a play and helped arrange an motion that noticed Immanuel Quickley end an 11-foot driving floater. It all comes right down to profitable. 

And whereas Rajakovic was happy with his star for profitable an award, he himself didn’t care about his personal nomination for coach of the month — Detroit’s JB Bickerstaff gained the award within the East.

“No feelings at all (about being nominated). This is about players and my team,” Rajakovic stated. “Really proud of my team, proud of our guys. We got a lot more work to do, a lot in front of us. Just focusing to get one per cent better every day.”

So whereas an award like this one can function vindication for a staff and a participant nonetheless out to show themselves, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t go hand-in-hand with profitable. On Tuesday, and all through most of November, it certain did.