BURNABY, British Columbia — Toronto Raptors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela was running into double digits, yelling numbers as he passed to several players starting corner threes.
Mahlalela yelled “Nine” as Raptors forward Scottie Barnes and two-way guard Javon Freeman-Liberty practiced their shots. “Ten.” Two more manufacturers. Then it went on to 11, 12, 13.
Finally, Barnes hit on No. 14, but Freeman Liberty couldn’t match him. Barnes was victorious in shooting drills after the Raptors’ second day of training camp. Burns grinned widely, pumped his fist, and the two, along with Precious Achiuwa, walked across the court to the opposite corner. Burns won there too. Let’s celebrate more.
“It was a good comeback from yesterday,” Burns said Wednesday. “They grabbed me yesterday and I tried to come back and perform.”
The second day of training camp was better than the first, and Barnes will now try to make his third season better than his second. Like the team, Barnes was underwhelming last year, with only his assists improving significantly from his Rookie of the Year campaign.
But just as revealing as the numbers was the way Mr. Burns goes about his day-to-day life. It was remarkable how much of an impact he had on the game as a whole, which was evident by how well he performed in the fourth quarter of the game. Depending on his times and scores, he sometimes looked like a completely different player. His ability to shine in the game’s biggest moments bodes well for his future, but last year’s team, in particular, clearly needed more from him at various points.
The nature of the Raptors offense sometimes put Barnes on the sidelines, especially when the Raptors were struggling in November and December. Burns mostly appeared in games on the offensive line in his first year, but failed to find his way to the same level of contribution in his second year. As in 2021-22, he was ranked behind Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet in the offensive pecking order, but didn’t have much of an impact elsewhere.
“I would say it was draining,” Barnes said at media day about the overall feel of last season. “Sometimes I felt like everyone had their own. That’s what we really need to change.”
Burns walked back those words Wednesday, saying last year was tough but still fun. Either way, disappointing seasons were relatively new for him.
In 2019-20, Monteverde Academy’s boys varsity team went 25-0. A year ago, the Davie, Fla., University School boys team won the championship with a 27-5 record. In the 2020-21 season, Florida State advanced to the Sweet 16 with an 18-7 record.
Over those three years, Barnes’ teams won more than 85 percent of their games. As such, this young forward’s rookie season in the NBA was a shock to the system as the Raptors finished with an incredible 48-34 record. Compared to three years ago, Burns’ winning percentage has dropped by nearly 27% of his time.
Now imagine if you fell well short of expectations, both as a team and as individuals, going 41-for-41 at even .500.
“I think the biggest thing I really learned is how difficult it is to win basketball games (in the NBA),” Barnes said Wednesday.
“There’s no other way to learn,” added new Raptors coach Darko Lajakovic. “We all tend to relax when we win or when everything is going well in life. Our brains are wired that way. But once we go through difficult times and fail, we tend to relax. , that motivates us to find an answer and a way out of it. …To learn how to be better, you have to fail.”
To that end, Burns made a few changes. He mentioned improving his conditioning, which was at the forefront of his offseason efforts. Lajakovic said he believes Barnes’ left hand has improved. As long as his shot is developing, it would be foolish to expect him to suddenly become an efficient shooter off the dribble in his third year, even if he had a drill at the end of practice. His ball handling will need to improve quickly to be top notch. He will be an effective playmaker, especially in an offense that may lack on-ball screens and post touches.
Also, Burns is bigger. He mentioned adding nine pounds to his weight in the offseason, so specific that it’s hard to doubt, and he said he feels like he’s gotten stronger. Strength has always been Barnes’ strength, and Barnes seems to be trying to lean into that strength by leaning into defenders.
The trick is to do it without dribbling too much. He’s going to have to use his strength to outmaneuver opponents without the ball more than he does with it. Even if the Raptors put the ball in Barnes’ hands more often, he can’t forget how much of a weapon he is without it. Barnes’ desire to be great and enjoy the process was evident from the moment he was drafted.
“I think we had a lot of (good) spurts and moments last year, but we just couldn’t get through the whole game (at the same high level),” Burns said. “When I’m on the floor…I want to set the tone every game, dominate on the floor and make my presence known.”
No matter what happens with Siakam and OG Anunoby, the Raptors still view Barnes as a bridge to their next highly successful team. Whether that happens will depend on what the Raptors do with Barnes under center, but Barnes will have to do his part as well.
A sophomore slump isn’t the end of the world as long as it makes a difference.
“Scottie is an All-Star type of player,” Lajakovic said. “He’s a guy who can do so many things. He’s going to be the player that he’s going to be in two or three years. As the team was preparing for scouting and doing multiple interviews on him, I’m really scratching my head. …If you switch, he’ll punish you. If you don’t switch, he’ll make the right decision and punish you. If you give him space, he’ll punish you. He’ll drop the shot. If you close up shop, he’ll walk right past you.
“We’re trying to develop him into a complete player.”
(Photo: Dan Hamilton/USA Today)
