“Scottie Barnes, SF, Raptors

The only fly in the ointment is that Barnes sprained his foot in Toronto’s final preseason game; hopefully it ends up being a minor injury and he’s back soon.

If that isn’t an issue, I’m extremely bullish on a Barnes breakout, which is part of the reason I’m more bullish than most about Toronto in general.

The 2022 Rookie of the Year had a meh sophomore campaign that coincided with the Raptors’ general malaise, but with more on-ball reps, renewed focus and a bit more shooting accuracy, the 22-year-old Barnes may end up rivaling Pascal Siakam as the Raptors’ first option this season.

He showed why in a brilliant preseason, making seven of his 14 3-point attempts (fingers crossed) while also pumping in 74 points in 89 minutes. Defensively, he underwhelmed a bit last season despite size and mobility but registered an encouraging 11 stocks (steals + blocks) in his four preseason games. He added seven more stocks, eight rebounds and 17 points in Toronto’s opening win.

Barnes finished with a glittering 31.6 PER on 72.0 percent true shooting in preseason. Barnes already stuffed the stat sheet in rebounds and assists, but now he has a chance to add a 20-point scoring average on decent efficiency to his bottom line, which could thrust him into fringe All-Star consideration.”