Toronto Raptors rising star Scottie Barnes was forced to leave Saturday's contest against the Miami Heat due to an ankle injury, raising fears that he could be sidelined for “some time” because of the issue. However, the early signs on his injury looks promising and could spark hopes of a quick return.

According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Barnes was seen “moving around without any sort of wrap on his right foot/ankle” after the game. Eric Koreen of The Athletic added that the Raptors youngster was even wearing flip flops in the locker room–no walking boot or wrap whatsoever. While he does limp, it's only for a bit and “not too notable.”

That is definitely a good sign for Barnes and the Raptors. X-rays on his injured ankle already came back negative, and while he has yet to undergo an MRI, it does seem his injury is not as serious as it initially looked like.

When Barnes went down with the injury in the second quarter, he writhed in pain as he held his right foot.

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Scottie Barnes has gotten off to a solid start for the Raptors, so his injury was quite the damper in what was looking like another big night for him. Before his exit against the Heat, he had already recorded 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Here's to hoping that Barnes won't be sidelined for long because of the injury. While the severity of his injury has yet to be assessed, the Raptors are expected to be cautious of his condition. After all, they wouldn't want to rush him back only to worsen his ankle.

The Raptors play the Heat once again on Monday. Barnes' status should be revealed as soon as he gets his tests done.