I don’t pay attention to other NBA teams much. At least in what’s said about them, whether it’s from the media or the players/coaches/organization themselves. Being close to the Raptors though, I can tell you we have all been living off of words instead of actions for a very long time. They’re good words, at least. However, it was in February, with the Brandon Ingram trade, that the Raptors announced their intentions for this upcoming season. The few thousand who got to see the open practice saw a little bit, I suppose, but it’s not much, if anything.
It’s time to see some hoops. There’s a question I’m very interested in seeing play out, and it revolves around the Raptors starting shooting guard, RJ Barrett. How is he used? Can he be leapfrogged?
While I do think it’s somewhat informative that Barrett had a 32-game stretch at the end of 2023-24 as a Raptor where he posted a 61-percent TS% and was generally doing a fantastic job of getting buckets as a hyper efficient ancillary player, it’s not a guarantee of anything. Barrett shot 72-percent at the rim, 39-percent on catch-and-shoot triples, and was one of the highest volume transition players in the NBA. He did, however, shoot 53-percent on his halfcourt possessions. He was great!
If he repeats that? Then the potential defensive questions won’t really matter as much, even if the Raptors are team that wants to lead on that end of the floor. Last year he was a very high volume transition player, and he shot a passable 36-percent on his catch-and-shoot triples. He shot poorly from the free throw line both years. He cut less last year, but largely because he took on more initiation possessions — pick n’ roll ball handler possessions in particular, where he was in the top third of the NBA for efficiency — where he made strides as a player.
The big difference? Honestly? He was taking more difficult shots at the rim, and he was a terrible, terrible pull-up shooter. It tanked his efficiency completely. It was necessary last year, of course, as primary initiators have to try to threaten with the pull-up jumper to create changes in the defense.
So, when Bobby Webster said that they want to see Barrett attacking more often from the weakside, and that they expect him to have to navigate fewer doubles – I think it’s fair to say they expect their leading scorer from last year to take a step back in usage and priority. Everyone knew this would happen, and Barrett has publicly elevated Ingram in his commentary.
I think there’s potential for Barrett to have a great season in this new context, even as the shortcomings of his game and his contract — and the lack of organizational love thrown his way — point to the trade machine repeatedly.
The Raptors are going to need a tertiary player to provide some teeth to the back end of plays. Not just as a shooter, like Ochai Agbaji perhaps, but as a player who can extend advantages and run secondary actions and meaningfully threaten with a live dribble. Even though Ingram has joined the Raptors, they don’t suddenly become a paint-to-great team that knifes deep and gouges out space for shooters every time down. They will have to create small advantages and build upon them. It’s imperative that the Raptors don’t truly become the home of the mid-range fader. Last year Ingram was in the 99th percentile in non-paint two point shot frequency and Barnes was in the 94th. They can’t just be surrounded by limited shooters. There needs to be more.
Barrett not only fits the type of punch the Raptors will end up needing surrounding their stars, but the initiation possessions he was grinding through, and succeeding with from time to time last season can help in staggered lineups and with a bench squad that will rely on him and others.
There is a real question of Barrett’s defense. Barrett said: “I’ve never been a horrible defender” at media day, and I think that’s true, but he’s never been good either. And he’s definitely never been good in the way the Raptors are hoping to get from their backcourt – with tremendous pressure. Barrett can have a better defensive season than people are expecting and it would still be extremely shocking if he was an answer or a major factor when it comes to this form of defense.
There are real questions looming about the Raptors expensive starting lineup, and the overall ceiling of the team. And just because Barrett’s contract and potential square-peg-in-a-round-hole type usage fit with this starting lineup seems to be the easiest way out of a crunch – that doesn’t mean that they suddenly don’t need his skillset on the roster.
Teambuilding is one thing, and better players than Barrett have been traded, but when it comes to putting players on the floor, Barrett is the only answer at shooting guard. At least the way I see it. Not even because he was the leading scorer last year, or because of the politics of contracts, but because I think it makes sense.
Have a blessed day.
