Forgive me for a moment, as I attempt to point out a great, shining, silver lining. For the first time since a March matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James, Scottie Barnes was handed the role of closer, as the Raptors bent possessions in his favor to provide a platform for his talents. The Raptors allowed the Nets to shoot 60-percent from the floor over the course of the game. Allowed is maybe a bit harsh, considering that nearly 40-percent of Brooklyn's overall attempts came from the mid-range and they shot 65-percent there - sometimes the shot makers kill you - but, alas they had to contend with that scoring. The Nets as a whole shot 70-percent in the final quarter, and that's what Barnes had to try and lead his team up against on the other end.
He was very nearly perfect. It's not that he scored every time down, made no mistakes, and led his team to victory. It's that he shot 5-5 from the field, 7-7 from the free throw line, and continuously met the moment in front of him. You can make the case that this was the best quarter of his young career.
"He's a hell of a player. If we didn't know that already, you should know that now. He's a hell of a player." Fred VanVleet said of Barnes after the game. "That's why everyone is so excited with him and why expectation is so high. And it's good for him. There's going to be ups and downs, there's going to be challenges, but the magic is in making it through that and persevering and fighting through adversity, and he's done that. Again, I'm going to be there for him when he plays like shit, and you guys will write all your articles and talk about him, and I'll still be there putting my arm around him, and when he plays good, I'll try to find ways to help him play better. He's such a competitor and wants to win. When it's good it's great, and when it's not, not so much, but we've all been through it, and nobody's perfect."
Those ups and downs that VanVleet is talking about are, of course, a part of Barnes' season. Jayson Tatum spoke openly about changing game plans for the Raptors young star. Kevin Durant has lobbed compliments and insight Barnes' way every time they've played - and that insight is typically about ups and downs. Not only has Barnes struggled this year and found his way past it, but he did just that in last nights game.
