TORONTO – The Raptors believed that Scottie Barnes was prepared for the role of undisputed franchise leader, which is why they chose to keep their older players in place rather than trade them.
That wouldn’t be reasonable to ask of a 22-year-old who is still learning what it takes to lead both on and off the court.
They took that action because they had to begin preparing him for that role and all of its implications. It takes time, so along the road there will inevitably be some growing pains and difficult lessons to learn.
Several of those lessons were learned in a hard-fought Monday night setback.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs put on an incredible performance that left Barnes and the Raptors in the rear. With a 27-point triple-double that included 10 blocks (three on Barnes), the long-limbed rookie phenom demonstrated why he is a future generational superstar in the making. Meanwhile, the 11-win, last-place Spurs led by as many as 31 points en route to a commanding triumph from start to finish.
This was the least involved Barnes has appeared in his otherwise stellar third NBA season, with the exception of the conclusion to a double-overtime loss in Oklahoma City earlier this month. Under the tutelage of sophomore Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio’s greatest defender, Barnes went scoreless in the first half and committed four of his five errors. Despite having nine rebounds and nine assists in the game, he only scored seven points, which is one more than his season low and four less than the Spurs scored as a result of his mistakes.
He was clearly frustrated the entire game. Overall, the body language seemed unprofessional. He made a poor pass at least a few times, hung his head in disappointment, and failed to return to defense. Then, with four seconds left in the game, Barnes was seen heading off the floor by himself and making his way toward the locker room on the team broadcast.
To put things in perspective, this isn’t a horrible transgression or anything, but it did cause some controversy both inside and outside the company. In team sports, there’s an unspoken rule that says you win as a unit and you lose as a unit. It is not a good look for any player, especially a young team leader, to come off the bench early.
It is serious enough that, in a situation extremely similar to this one a few years ago, the Raptors felt compelled to act. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the Raptors were playing in Tampa Bay early in the 2020–21 season when Pascal Siakam fouled out of a game against Philadelphia with 26 seconds remaining and headed straight to the locker room. Together, former head coach Nick Nurse and team president Masai Ujiri made the decision to bench him for the next game against New York.
Although Siakam, who was 26 at the time, didn’t like being benched, it did catch his attention. Although it wasn’t technically a suspension—which would have resulted in him losing his salary for the missing game—it did convey a message and establish a precedent.
Nurse later remarked, “Just a specific way we want to do things.” And everyone needs to participate in that. That is all there is to it.
It was not entirely unexpected for those in the club when first-year head coach Darko Rajakovic said on Tuesday that Barnes would not be disciplined.
“There’s no chance,” a league source acquainted with the dynamics of the club responded when asked if Barnes would miss a game due to the events of Monday. “Not in a million years.”
It had been exaggerated to suggest that Barnes and Toronto’s now-retired older players were fundamentally different. Not that they were at odds, but there was a sense that the team’s highly valued former fourth-overall pick and Rookie of the Year was being handled differently than the other key players, who had to prove themselves before being able to play a significant role. That was the main cause of any strife that had occurred in the locker room during the previous two seasons. This won’t, of course, help to refute the notion that Barnes is receiving special treatment from a team that, in its nearly three decades of existence, has frequently failed to satisfy its best players.
On Tuesday, they had the opportunity to at least correct their narratives.
Barnes’ early departure was attributed by Rajakovic to ignorance, as he mistook the final buzzer for San Antonio’s late-game shot clock violation.
Barnes’ analysis of the events?
He said, “There were like two or three seconds [left] and I immediately quit the game.”
Before practice, Rajakovic claimed to have spoken with Barnes, and the two of them discussed the necessity for Barnes to be more conscious of his surroundings and control his emotions throughout the game.
Barnes regarding that meeting: “We didn’t discuss it at all… Though it wasn’t the main topic of conversation, we did discuss the game.
Although Barnes’ awkward and hardly audible five minutes of media availability didn’t exactly represent his regrets and willingness to take responsibility, Rajakovic added.
He remarked, “I guess it was a horrible look,” in response to the third follow-up query. “I made a mistake, and I apologize to my teammates if it damaged them in any way.”
It’s highly likely that Barnes would have encountered some harsh remarks following Monday’s game, from both Rajakovic and Ujiri. However, it’s difficult to escape the impression that, as with Siakam three years prior, this was a squandered chance for the group to make a meaningful statement.

Would you like to be “the guy”? This is how that seems, though. Being at the top of the other team’s scouting report, playing against the greatest defender on the field every night, accepting responsibility, attending to media duties following disappointing performances, and all the while leading by example are all just aspects of the job.
Due to his consistent performance throughout the season, he has earned a position in next week’s All-Star Game, the first of what should be many selections during his career. As recently as this past Saturday, in a loss to Cleveland, he recorded his fourth career triple-double and third of the season. Following the game, his coaches and teammates praised him much for his leadership. Barnes would lead the defense from the sidelines whenever he left the game. It’s just as outspoken as when he’s been absent.
Rajakovic had previously stated, “I think everyone in the stadium could hear him screaming [out] coverages and aiding teammates.” “He’s doing a great job in the huddles, especially when it comes to trying to explain to the new guys what they need to do and how to position themselves, among other things. I believe he possesses those leadership qualities, and that for a 22-year-old, they are appropriate. I believe that things will only get better from here on out.
Barnes was a reserve player at Florida State just four years ago. Nurse and the coaches weren’t calling plays for him even during his incredible first season with the Raptors; at most, he was the third or fourth player on the court. Until recently, OG Anunoby took on the most difficult defensive duty, Siakam was the offensive substitute, and Fred VanVleet protected him from having to perform media duties more frequently than necessary.
He’s never played this position before, so it will take some getting used to as he develops into the role. Players his age don’t typically find themselves in positions like this.
Nevertheless, this is Barnes’ squad, for the time being at least, regardless of how modest by nature, how unselfish he can be as a player, or how many times he correctly emphasizes that there are multiple leaders in the room. It implies that there is nowhere to run to. There aren’t any free nights.

It’s acceptable that he won’t play well every game, particularly at this point in his career. While he can’t always control if a shot goes in or out, he can control his effort, his attention, and his demeanor.
Rajakovic remarked, “He is realizing the impact he has on teammates, the squad, and everyone else.” Being the face of a franchise and going through this for the first time in his life makes him emotional, but he also needs to learn how to control them.
He has yet another excellent opportunity to learn from this. Although it doesn’t guarantee that it won’t occur again, I think those instances will be handled much better going forward and will happen less frequently.