Raptors See Sky-High Potential as Scottie Barnes Returns to Action in Loss

The Toronto Raptors saw Scottie Barnes return to form despite their preseason loss to the Washington Wizards

Mar 26, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) points to one of his teammates against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Scottie Barnes is back.

Was it pretty?

No. Not particularly. Most of Friday's 113-95 loss the Washington Wizards was forgettable. But after seven months away from competitive basketball, the Toronto Raptors have the face of the franchise back on the court.

For a moment, it looked like Barnes hadn't missed a beat. He came around a dribble handoff from Jakob Poeltl and powered his way inside for the first points of the game. Seconds later he stepped into a pull-up 17-footer — the kind of shot that's plagued him throughout his career — and made it. He then found Poeltl running the court in transition for an easy bucket with a halfcourt pass, scoring or assisting on each of Toronto's first six points.

That's the Barnes the Raptors had been missing.

Barnes started each of the first 60 games of last season before suffering a freak injury, fracturing his hand when Immanuel Quickley inadvertently kicked him as he tried to contest a layup attempt by Jonathan Kuminga. Without him, Toronto fell into the dumps, going 3-19 over its final 22 games as injuries and personal absences left the Raptors bereft of talent.

Friday showed Barnes remains the engine for this Raptors group.

Save for some turnover and foul trouble early, the 23-year-old Barnes looked effective. He nailed another 19-foot jumper off the dribble and opened the second half with a pair of steals, jumping into the Wizards' passing lanes for two transition buckets.

Barnes finished his preseason opener with 16 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes. He failed to convert any of his three-pointers and racked up five turnovers, but for the first showing in months, it was a big step in the right direction.

Boucher Pushes For Rotation Spot

On merit, Chris Boucher deserves a rotation spot.

There's certainly an argument to be made that his minutes should go to someone a little younger and with a more solidified long-term future in Toronto, but if it's about talent entering the season, Boucher deserves to play. He looks like he'll slide easily behind Barnes as Toronto's backup power forward. Jonathan Mogbo isn't quite ready for that spot right now and the Raptors don't have another option to back up Barnes in the frontcourt.

There are certainly going to be some frustrating games from Boucher, but the 31-year-old should see his role grow after starting last year out of the rotation. At the very least, his 22-point, seven-rebound showing Friday night should help his case.

Three-Point Woes

Playing without Quickley certainly hurt Toronto's three-point shooting firepower, but the Raptors can't be quite as bad as they looked against Washington. Toronto shot 7-for-33 from three-point range and was outscored by 30 points from behind the arc by the Wizards. If the math looks that lopsided on a regular basis, the Raptors are going to be in a lot of trouble this season.

Up Next: Boston Celtics

The Raptors will continue their preseason road trip against the Boston Celtics on Sunday at 7p.m. ET.