Scottie Barnes is having a sophomore season to forget for the Toronto Raptors. After a stellar first season, expectations for the reigning Rookie of the Year were sky-high. Unfortunately, Barnes has not only not improved upon his first year, but he seemed to also regress in some areas. A possible reason? Scottie Barnes' inconsistent appearance during the Raptors' summer practice runs, according to Doug Smith.
“There are those in the (Raptors) organization whose eyebrows were raised in the summer when (Scottie) Barnes would flit in and out of team runs in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles.”
It's worth noting that these summer runs were not mandatory for the most part. However, most of the Raptors stars have always been present in these practice runs. From Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, these were meant to be an avenue for players to improve. However, Scottie Barnes was not always seen in these this summer.
After Scottie Barnes ROY-worthy campaign, expectations were sky-high for the Raptors forward. Many felt that he could be the second option this team desperately needed. However, it's also easy to forget that Barnes is still a young player in his second season. Teams are keying in on his weaknesses more and more. It's way too early to write him off after one bad season. If Smith's report is true, though, that's certainly concerning behavior from their prized rookie.
The Raptors were at the very least able to halt their losing skid against the Knicks on the road, thanks to a Herculean effort by Pascal Siakam. We'll see if Barnes can find his groove at some point during the season.