Scottie Barnes Provides an Update on His Ailing Knee

Toronto Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes discusses coming back from COVID-19 and recovering from his knee tendinitis

Aaron Rose | Jan 15, 2022

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors haven't even hit the halfway point of the NBA season and rookie Scottie Barnes has almost doubled his minutes total from last season.

He's ailing, to put it simply.

"You're gonna hit a little wall, like, it's not college anymore," Pascal Siakam said. "You play a lot of games and it takes a toll on your body. And I think that as young and talented as he is you got to do the little things."

Barnes has been, Siakam said. He's been in the cold tub, taking care of his body way better than Siakam was when he first broke into the league. But after a bout with COVID-19, Barnes' body has taken a beating. He came back from the virus with knee tendinitis, the first time he's experienced the injury in his life.

"Coming off the COVID break just made my knee hurt a little bit but I’m gonna say I feel better now but of course just coming back (I) can’t really run as well, jump as well, do certain things as well as I could," Barnes said Friday. "I would say I’m up to speed, I’m up to the physicality and things like that, it’s just me getting back into it, just being able to trust my body, trust how it’s feeling."

Barnes was averaging 15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and shooting 49.4% from the floor and 35.6% from three-point range prior to contracting COVID. Since then, he's averaging 9.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and shooting 37.3% from the floor and 15.8% from three-point range over his last six games.

"He had such a great rhythm going into his COVID bout and it's just probably working his way out of that," Nurse said. "It's gonna take a little bit of game feeling that that stuff for those guys to get their legs back under ‘em and just the speed of the game and things like that."

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