Scottie

Barnes

While Barnes scored 21 points in Game 1, he was also responsible for five of the Raptors’ 17 turnovers. He committed four more turnovers in Game 2 but shot the ball better, making over 50 percent of his attempts from the field. If the Raptors are to win this series, they may need more from Barnes defensively, as starting center Jakob Poeltl has struggled and did not play at all in the second half of Monday’s defeat. Barnes is certainly a capable defender, but Evan Mobley is a challenging matchup.

Barnes had 21 points on 14 attempts from the field and three three-pointers. The 24-year-old small forward also had seven assists, but he also had five turnovers. Barnes was a game-worst -22 in his 32 minutes on the floor. The Raptors will need Barnes to take better care of the ball if they’re going to make this a series.

In the regular season finale, Barnes put up his third triple-double of the season, which was his first since December. That was enough to get the win for the Raptors and push them up to the No. 5 seed in the East, which sets them up to take on the Cavaliers in round one. Barnes has been incredible this season and has been a big reason for Toronto’s success. They’ll need him at his best to have a chance to pull the upset against Cleveland.

Barnes did not record any defensive stats against the Knicks, marking two consecutive games without a steal or a blocked shot. With the Raptors’ forward being among the league leaders in combined steals and blocks, fantasy managers in active leagues certainly expected more from Barnes. If there’s a positive to take from Friday’s defeat, it’s that the Raptors will likely need to play their regulars in Sunday’s season finale against the Nets as they look to secure a top-6 seed in the East.

Having scored 14 points or less in four straight games, Barnes snapped out of his slump on Tuesday. The 25 points were the most in a game for the All-Star forward since February 8, when he hit that number in a win over the Pacers. However, while it was good to see Barnes get untracked as a scorer, his ability to fill a stat line is what makes him so valuable in fantasy leagues. He’s tallied at least five assists and one steal in each of his last seven games.

With Immanuel Quickley (foot) out, the Raptors have asked Barnes to do more as a scorer and playmaker in recent games. Unfortunately, the All-Star forward has struggled with the increased workload. Barnes has averaged just under 10 points per game over his last four appearances while shooting less than 40 percent from the field. Fantasy basketball aside, the Raptors need more from Barnes as the postseason approaches.

While Barnes’ percentages were poor on Wednesday, the rebounds, assists and defensive stats were good. Regarding the shooting, it’s fair to wonder if Barnes’ left shoulder may be causing him some trouble, even though he’s a right-handed player. He shot 2-of-8 from the field in Tuesday’s loss to the Pistons and was only slightly better against Sacramento. The Raptors play games on Friday and Sunday, so Barnes won’t have to deal with another back-to-back this week.

Barnes is good to go after initially being questionable for Wednesday’s game. He’ll occupy his usual place in the Raptors’ starting lineup, so fantasy managers need to ensure that he isn’t sitting on their bench.

Barnes was held to just five points in Tuesday’s loss, though he was still able to dish out double-digit assists for a fifth straight game. If he is forced to sit out the second leg of this back-to-back, Collin Murray-Boyles should start in his stead.

Barnes’ assist production has been elite recently. Counting Sunday, he has recorded 49 assists while committing 11 turnovers in his last four games. Add everything else that the two-time All-Star brings to the table, and Barnes’ Week 22 was very impressive. Over the past week, he has been a top-10 player in eight-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. Barnes and the Raptors should encounter more resistance on Tuesday when they open a four-game Week 23 in Detroit.