It has been a breakout year for Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, but it appears as though his 2023-24 season is in danger of coming to an abrupt end. During the Raptors' 120-105 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, the third-year forward out of Florida State suffered a fracture to the third metacarpal bone of his left hand, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
As a result, Barnes will be out indefinitely, and it looks like surgery will be necessary to ensure a swift recovery for the nascent Raptors forward. At present, the Raptors are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 22-38 record, which means that there will be no reason to rush Barnes back.
The play in which Scottie Barnes sustained the hand injury is rather unfortunate. Both he and his Raptors teammate Immanuel Quickley were simply going up to contest a layup from Jonathan Kuminga. Alas, after the Warriors forward dislodged Quickley's shot contest attempt, Quickley's mid-air momentum led to his right foot flying waywardly right onto the path of Barnes' left hand.
In the immediate aftermath of the impact of Quickley's foot on Barnes' hand, the Raptors forward grimaced in pain. It clearly looked like a serious injury from the get-go, which became an immediate concern for the Raptors. Now, their worst fears have come true.
Scottie Barnes injury
Viewer discretion is advised pic.twitter.com/jr1dyRIRvT
— BarnesMuse (@MuseBarnes) March 2, 2024
Warriors guard Chris Paul recently fractured a metacarpal bone himself; this injury and the ensuing surgery kept him out for 21 games (nearly eight weeks). There are only 20 games left on the Raptors' season, which means that it's looking rather unlikely that Scottie Barnes suits up again this season.
Prior to Barnes' hand fracture, he has been averaging 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game while adding 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks a contest, showcasing his two-way impact on a nightly basis. He is the Raptors' primary building block as they embark on a youth movement, and given his ascent this season at the ripe young age of 22, the sky is the limit for the 6'7 forward. Here's to a speedy recovery for the breakout star who made his first All-Star team in 2024.
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