Raptors Future Hinges in Part on Two-Way Abilities Of One Key Starter

The Toronto Raptors need RJ Barrett to develop into a two-way wing stopper who can accentuate the strengths of Scottie Barnes moving forward

Apr 12, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) drives to the basket as Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) defends during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

There’s no reason RJ Barrett can’t do it all.

The 6-foot-7 Canadian forward has all the physical tools to be a two-way star for the Toronto Raptors. He’s strong and athletic and has no problem bullying his way into the paint for buckets. He has the mental make-up too, the kind of player who’s not easily excited but rather calm and collected in the biggest moments.

And yet, Barrett’s defense has never quite been as good as it should be.

Even when he was putting up gaudy offensive numbers last season, members of the Raptors organization were disappointed in what Barrett was providing at the other end of the floor. His box score stats in terms of blocks and steals have never been very good and he’s never developed into the two-way stopper he should be.

Toronto needs that to change this season as Barrett gets set to make his season debut at some point this week.

This season, the Raptors are making adjustments on defense, hoping to better accentuate the strengths of their roster. The plan is to shift Scottie Barnes into a roaming off-ball role — a move designed to leverage Barnes' versatility as a secondary helper who can disrupt passing lanes and provide rim protection. For the strategy to work, though, Toronto needs Barrett to step up as a primary wing defender, regularly matching up with the opposing team’s top scorers.

Barrett wants that role.

“The way I see my role is that I'm the do-it-all guy,” Barrett said last week as he began practicing for the first time while recovering from an AC joint sprain. “Anything you need me to do, I’ll do. You need me to guard the team’s best player, or you need me to handle the ball, shoot, be in the corner, cut, rebound, anything you need me to do. I think that's the talent that I was blessed with.”

But is it in him?

That’s what the Raptors need to find out.

The Raptors are betting on a core trio of Barrett, Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley, envisioning a lineup where Barnes thrives as a Swiss Army knife, Quickley excels as a defensive pest at the point of attack, and Barrett emerges as a legitimate two-way force. It all works if Barrett can hold his own in those tough matches against the league’s best wings. Without that, though, Toronto would be vulnerable against the likes of Boston, Orlando, Indiana, and Philadelphia who boast All-Star and All-NBA-caliber wings.

“RJ can be whatever he desires to be, man,” Quickley said. “Hell of a player we got right there.”

While much of last year’s narrative centered around Barrett’s offensive leap — a transformation from an inconsistent scorer in New York to a refined weapon in Toronto — this season brings a new focus. For the Raptors to take the next step in their development, Barrett’s growth on the defensive end will be paramount.

The Raptors know that to compete at the highest level, they need more than just scoring from Barrett. If he can become the defensive wing they envision, Toronto’s chances of contending in a deep and competitive Eastern Conference will look much brighter.

The question now is: Can Barrett rise to the occasion and become the two-way star the Raptors believe he can be?

As Toronto’s season unfolds, all eyes will be on him to find out.