Did Raptors make the right decision?
The Raptors decided to keep Scott Barnes this offseason instead of trading him for Kevin Durant. While some may view this as a mistake, I believe it was the right call for a few reasons. First and foremost, Barnes is a young player with a lot of potentials. He's shown flashes of greatness and has the potential to be a star in this league. Second, Barnes is a young player who likes Toronto and the Raptors. Yes, Kevin Durant would have come with a four-year contract, but that doesn't guarantee that he would have stayed here for the entire duration of the contract. Third, Kevin Durant, as great as he can be, is an aging superstar. At 34 years old, Durant is in the decline of his career. Injuries have also taken their toll on him, as he's missed significant time over the past few seasons. The Raptors are a young team building for the future, and Barnes is a big part of that future.
Raptors Keep Barnes Over Durant
This season, the Raptors have been criticized for keeping Scott Barnes over the dominant play of Kevin Durant. Even though they would have had to include Barnes in the deal, they could have achieved a championship-calibre team instantly. The Raptor side is that if they were to keep Barnes, there would not be a trade for Durant, as both sides agreed on this point.
The Raptors were in a tough spot. Durant is just hard to pass on; he's a once-in-a-generation talent. We can all agree on how attractive a lineup of Kevin Durant, Pascal Siakam, and Freddy VanVleet would look on paper. And yes, that trade would have made the Raptors an instant title favourite. But in the end, there's nothing guaranteed in the NBA, just like the pairing of Kevin Durant with Kyrie Irving didn't result in a championship.
The Raptors knew that Scott Barnes had a chance to grow into an All-Star calibre player and wanted to keep him around for the future.
Looking back, it's hard to argue with their decision. Durant has been injured for much of the past two seasons, and while he's still one of the best players in the league when healthy, his health is a big question mark going forward. Meanwhile, Barnes, with all his troubles this year, has developed into a very good player in his own right. The reigning rookie of the year has become one of the Raptors' best defenders and a key cog in their offense. He also has so much NBA Mileage left in the tank.
Ultimately, it worked out for Toronto as both players remained with their respective teams. While some may view this decision as a poor judgement by Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri, others believe it is one of the best moves he has made during his tenure with the team.
Breaking Scottie Barnes' Confidence
Scotty Barnes has had his confidence shattered a few times, and overcoming those struggles has been difficult. He tries to play himself out of slumps, but the game is better for him when he allows it to come to him. We kept ahold of Scottie Barnes because we felt he could be great in the first 19 games of the season, but that hasn't been the case so far. However, 19 games is still a small sample size of Scottie's career. Scottie is growing up in front of our eyes and we have all the faith in him to continue growing and becoming a great player for years to come. His struggles are part of the process, and it is important to stick with him through thick and thin.
Patience Is Key When Dealing With Scotty Barnes
Patience is key when dealing with Scotty Barnes. We all have to be patient, but he needs to look at things in context. He has to understand that he is still growing and find the positives in his game. That's something he can't do alone — it requires help from the coaching staff and front office as well. Toronto has put a lot of faith in him, and it's time for him to start trusting the process and take advantage of the opportunity they have given him.
At the end of the day, it's up to Barnes to decide how he wants to be remembered. He has the talent and drives to become an All-Star and help the Raptors achieve their long-term goals of contending for a championship. With the Raptors' help, Barnes can reach his full potential and become a force in the league for years to come. It's time for him to seize the moment and prove that Toronto made the right decision in keeping him around.
