Being the face of a franchise isn't easy. At first, it might sound glamorous: being THE guy for an NBA team sounds dope, right? However, with great power comes great responsibility.
Being the number one option on a team also brings a lot of challenges and pressure that the player will need to overcome. DeMar DeRozan experienced this first hand when he took over the Toronto Raptors after Chris Bosh's departure.
Now, almost a decade later, a different star is set to take the reins of the franchise. After trading Pascal Siakam, the Raptors have effectively given the keys to the franchise to Scottie Barnes.
This wasn't completely unexpected, as many knew that this was the team's plan all along. After the trade materialized, DeRozan had some advice for the young star forward as he takes the next step in his NBA journey, per Sports Illustrated.
“Accept the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the frustrations, and the struggles,” DeRozan advised Barnes. “It’s all going to shape you in the long run. When everything gets to rolling, you’re going to be a hell of a player, a hell of a talent.”
Barnes' NBA career has been a rather up-and-down journey. After winning the Rookie of the Year award, the Raptors forward had a bit of a slide in his sophomore season.
He showed flashes of his skills, but he was not able to find a consistent rhythm in the season. The result was an uninspiring second season that sowed seeds of doubt amongst the Toronto faithful.
It's clear that the Raptors' brass has full faith in Barnes to succeed as the lead guy. By trading away Siakam, Barnes is left as the true number one option of the Raptors. DeRozan knows exactly what it feels like to be that guy, and he knows that it will be wildly unpredictable (and full of mistakes).
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