Toronto Raptors: OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes are re-energizing the franchise
The Toronto Raptors franchise is reenergized thanks to OG and Scottie.
When it became clear that the Toronto Raptors would be moving on from Kyle Lowry heading into this past offseason, the popular narrative was that this was a franchise that was headed toward some sort of rebuild.
However, through the first three weeks of the 2021-22 NBA season, the Raptors haven’t looked like a team that is interested in any type of long-term rebuild. In fact, they look like a team that is ready to cause some havoc in the Eastern Conference this season.
And a big reason why is the emergence of OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes.
Anunoby isn’t a foreign name to the NBA community by any means. Ever since he broke into the league he’s been a fan favorite and highlighted by many fans as a player that could follow the Kawhi Leonard development arc. All that had been missing for that narrative to come to completion was the one truly breakout yet.
It appears that it’s finally here.
Anunoby is averaging 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists per game on 36 percent shooting from 3-point range. He’s also one of the better and most versatile defenders the Raptors have on the wing and has played a big factor in the team getting off to a respectable 6-5 start.
In the absence of Lowry, it was important for Anunoby to step up. In fact, that’s what the Raptors bet on when they signed him to a four-year, $72 million extension last offseason. So far, it’s paid off.
But it hasn’t just been Anunoby’s resurgence that should have Raptors fans excited about this season; it’s also the early-season play of Scottie Barnes.
As somewhat of a controversial pick, Barnes was far more of a risk than many expected the Raptors to take with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. At least thus far, however, it has paid off for Toronto.
Barnes has been one of the most impressive rookies this season and is averaging 19 points and nine rebounds on 52 percent shooting from the field. He also happens to be one of the most versatile rookies on the defensive end and has been a much-better playmaker perhaps than most realized through the first few weeks of the season.
He’s been a welcomed addition for the Raptors and has helped ease the difficulty before Pascal Siakam made a return to the lineup after battling an offseason injury.
Considering that the Raptors have done much of the heavy lifting this season without Siakam in the lineup, his return should bring hope and excitement to Toronto. Once this team is fully healthy, it’ll be interesting to see how much more this team can improve.
The Raptors aren’t far off from being a really good team and a possible top 4 seed contender in the Eastern Conference. If Siakam can be a true No. 1 offensive player for the team, there’s a chance that this team defies even more odds than they already have.
This franchise appears to be re-energized and ready to make noise in the East. OG and Scottie are two big reasons why.