Raptors All-Star May Have Found His New Go-To Move
Scottie Barnes has found his sweet spot.
Early in the first quarter, he sprinted up the court and claimed position on the left block, sealing off Andrew Wiggins with intent. Davion Mitchell floated a high-arching entry pass, and the Toronto Raptors All-Star forward got to work. Two deliberate dribbles with his back to the basket set the stage, a nod to the craft of old-school big men. When Wiggins held firm, Barnes pivoted smoothly toward the baseline, leaning back as he released a fadeaway jumper.
Bucket.
For decades, that kind of move was the backbone of NBA offenses: dump the ball into the post and let the big man go to work. These days, post-ups have largely vanished, replaced by pace-and-space systems focused on perimeter shooting and driving lanes.
Yet, for the 23-year-old Barnes, the post-up turnaround jumper is quickly becoming a signature weapon.
“He’s putting a lot of work into that shot,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said Tuesday following practice. “For all high-level players, they need to have a shot where they think, ‘At any point, I can get to it, get to a sweet spot on the court and I can get that shot.’”
Barnes appears to be finding his. He’s shooting 58.7% from the left block and 58.5% from the 10-to-14-foot range. For context, the league average field goal percentage on the left block is just 42.5%. Among players with at least 60 attempts from that short mid-range area, Barnes ranks second in efficiency league-wide.
The improvement is staggering, especially when viewed through the lens of Barnes’ growth as an isolation scorer. Last season, Barnes generated just 0.7 points per isolation attempt, the worst mark in the league among players with comparable usage, per NBA Stats. This year, that number has jumped to 0.89 points per isolation attempt, placing him in the 56.9th percentile among isolation scorers. While still not elite, it’s a substantial leap that reflects his improved ability to create and finish in one-on-one situations.
The progress comes with some caveats. The sample size is still relatively small, and sustaining this level of efficiency will be critical before Barnes can truly claim his post-up turnaround as a reliable, go-to move. Post-ups are often lower-efficiency plays in modern basketball, meaning Barnes’ continued success will depend on maintaining his touch while leveraging the move to create opportunities for teammates.
“We see him work on it every day, and it's just a good shot,” said RJ Barrett who tried to imitate Barnes’ high release. “He shoots it from all the way up here too, so it's hard to block.”
The Raptors hope Barnes’ development in the post will unlock more opportunities for their offense. His ability to force defenses into tough decisions—sending help or risking a one-on-one—could create space for his teammates, whether through kick-outs to shooters or timely passes to cutters.
“When he gets it off with the high release, there’s not much you can do there,” Rajaković said.
“There is always a fine balance between being aggressive and taking it all to the rim which allows his high percentage finishing at the rim, but also connected with his teammates when they commit defense to him,” Rajaković added. “It’s also the balance of I’m going to get to my spot and we’re going to live with this shot."
As Barnes continues to evolve, his sweet spot on the left block is becoming more than just a move—it’s a foundation the Raptors hope he can build on, provided he stays efficient and sharpens his playmaking from the post.