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Raptors Insist Scottie Barnes Deserves More Attention: 'This guy is elite'

The Toronto Raptors believe Scottie Barnes is one of the league's best defenders and his performance on Sunday against Kevin Durant certainly proved it

Aaron Rose

Feb 23, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) passes the ball past Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Feb 23, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) passes the ball past Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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Kevin Durant tried to shake free.

A screen from Mason Plumlee was meant to create some separation from Scottie Barnes. Plumlee came all the way up to mid-court, giving Durant as much room as possible to operate. But it didn’t matter.

Barnes fought through the screen, staying attached to Durant. The former MVP tried to turn the corner, but Barnes was there, hands high, cutting off his path to the hoop. Durant took two dribbles toward the basket, realized he couldn’t shake Barnes, and pivoted away, throwing an ill-advised pass right into the hands of Raptors rookie Jonathan Mogbo.

“They did a great job as a team,” Durant said post-game. “Scottie is getting good at that scheme, he’s long, athletic, but I usually get guarded by the whole team. But they do a great job of playing hard in that scheme and making it tough.”

Barnes has been on a tear lately, taking on the league’s toughest assignments nightly—and holding his own. Against Durant, he held the Suns forward to 1-for-5 shooting with two turnovers in eight minutes as the primary defender, per NBA Stats.

“He's an unbelievable defender,” said Immanuel Quickley. “What he does a lot of times doesn't show up on the stat sheet. Guards the best player night in, night out…. That's probably one of the biggest, arguably one of the most important parts of a game night in and night out is who's gonna guard the best player, and a lot of nights [it’s] him.”

What makes Barnes so special is his rare combination of size, length, and mobility. His 7-foot-3 wingspan, coupled with his strength and lateral quickness, allows him to guard almost anyone. He looks just as comfortable defending seven-footers like Durant and Evan Mobley as he does staying in front of the league’s quickest guards.

“[He’s] very physical, very smart at the point of attack,” said Chris Boucher. “On going overs, under, kind of always talking. Obviously, I think that the one thing that he's put way more energy on it too. You can't deny the work that he's put in, and you can't deny how smart he's getting on defense and always helping us.”

For those who haven’t been locked into the Raptors this season, Barnes' defensive impact has been easy to overlook. His numbers don’t pop the way they do for Victor Wembanyama or Dyson Daniels. And with Toronto ranking 25th in defensive rating, many have glossed over the strides he’s made on that end.

“This kid is one of the most elite defensive players in the league,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajaković. “I don't think that he's getting enough credit for how diverse he is defensively and what he's doing defensively for us as a team. Maybe that has something to do with our record. But if you have eyes and if you're watching the game, you see that this guy is elite.”

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Aaron Rose
AARON ROSE

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