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Scottie Barnes & Malachi Flynn Give Raptors Something to be Excited About in Summer League Opener

The Toronto Raptors got a pair of stellar performances from first-round picks Scottie Barnes and Malachi Flynn in their Summer League opener

Aaron Rose

Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports

Scottie Barnes' NBA career started with a thud.

The No. 4 overall pick for the Toronto Raptors rose up from beyond the arc for his first NBA three-point shot early in his inaugural Summer League game. For almost a month now Raptors fans have been hyperfocused on Barnes' shot, the one glaring flaw in the otherwise exciting rookie. This particular attempt was a disaster.

"Airball," a New York Knicks fan yelled.

Fortunately, one shot doesn't define a game, let alone a career. 

After the errant shot, Barnes settled down, helping to lead the Raptors to an 89-79 victory in their first Summer League action in two years. It was clear why Toronto fell so in love with the Florida State product. His long arms repeatedly caused problems for the Knicks' offense, poking balls loose and creating turnovers. His 6-foot-7 frame and 7-foot wingspan allowed the Raptors to use Barnes in a variety of ways, switching between playing the point of attack on defense and attacking inside as a center or power forward on offense.

"Obviously you see his talent, right. He's talented, a lot of potential. I love his desire to win," Raptors coach Patrick Mutombo said. "I love his willingness to listen and also say 'my bad' and encourage his teammates. There's a lot of work to do with him, but, man, it's exciting the potential he has."

When he did nail his first NBA three-pointer in the second quarter, his emotions took over.

"I was pretty hyped, for sure, seeing one fall," Barnes said. "It was just a good feeling to hit one."

Barnes finished the afternoon with 18 points and looked as poised as anyone on the court calling out defensive rotations and communicating with his teammates.

"You hear him talking to his teammates constantly encouraging, constantly positive and he wasn’t waiting on anybody to talk to his teammates," Mutumbo said of Barnes. "To me, it’s impressive. At his age, with the expectation placed on him, he wasn’t shy."

While Barnes may have been the biggest attraction for the Raptors, 2020 first-round pick Malachi Flynn made sure nobody forgot about his development. The 23-year-old picked up right where he left off toward the end of the 2020-21 season, looking for his shot on offense and getting Toronto into scoring chances in the half-court.

"Obviously he’s grown," Mutumbo said. "He shows his talent, what he can do with the ball getting into the paint, finding people, but also shooting, but also defensively, he’s still improving his defense and his willingness to get into people. He’s getting better, he’s getting better, and it’s exciting to see."

While his playmaking wasn't always rewarded by his teammates at the rim, Flynn found a way to do it himself, scoring a team-high 23 points.

  • The first look second-round picks Dalano Banton and David Johnson left a little bit to be desired, but Banton's length certainly stands out on the court. He's long and lengthy and with a little bit more weight and some refinement he has the potential to be an intriguing versatile 6-foot-9 guard one day.
  • Freddie Gillespie's rebounding was once again crucial for Toronto, but the sophomore struggled to finish inside. His 1-foot-9 shooting inside left a lot of points on the board for the Raptors.

Up Next: Golden State Warriors

The Raptors will be back to action on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET to take on the Golden State Warriors and rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

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Aaron Rose
AARON ROSE

Aaron Rose is a Toronto-based reporter covering the Toronto Raptors since 2020.

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