TORONTO – It’s been nan amended portion of 8 months since Scottie Barnes was successful a regular-season NBA game. A week distant from nan Toronto Raptors’ location opener, he feels he’s ready.
The 23-year-old Barnes collapsed a bony successful his manus connected March 1, missing nan last 22 games of past play aft he had room to repair it. He now has 3 pre-season games nether his loop pinch 1 much accumulation earlier Toronto hosts nan Cleveland Cavaliers astatine Scotiabank Arena connected Oct. 23.
“The measurement we play and nan measurement we’re going to person to play passim nan season, it’s going to beryllium a batch of difficult work,” said Barnes astir his mentation level. “We’re going to person to move our bodies truthful we’ve sewage to beryllium good rested, get bully treatment, make judge we’re getting progressive pinch our training unit to make judge our bodies are prepared.
“But conditioning wise, you know, I consciousness beautiful good.”
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Barnes has surely played good successful his 3 pre-season games.
He had 16 points, 8 rebounds, an assistance and 2 steals complete 20 minutes successful a 113-95 nonaccomplishment to nan Washington Wizards connected Oct. 11, his first crippled backmost aft nan injury. Two days later he had 10 points, 2 assists and a rebound successful a 115-11 nonaccomplishment successful Boston to nan Celtics.
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Most impressively, Barnes astir had a triple-double successful a 119-118 triumph complete Boston connected Tuesday, finishing pinch 26 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds successful 30 minutes, his astir playing clip successful months. Those numbers came against astir of nan Celtics’ starting 5 that won that franchise its 18th NBA title past season, too.
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The Raptors will reason their pre-season connected Friday nighttime successful a roadworthy crippled pinch nan Brooklyn Nets. Barnes said nan attack was elemental earlier nan regular play originates successful a week.
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“Just staying consistent,” said Barnes connected Wednesday aft believe astatine OVO Athletic Centre. “Keep doing what we do, play nan correct way, playing smart, and conscionable support being us.”
Backup constituent defender Davion Mitchell, who has played starter’s minutes pinch Immanuel Quickley nursing a sprained thumb, had much to opportunity connected what Toronto needs to do to beryllium prepared for Cleveland and games that matter.
“I deliberation for america it’s support learning from each different and support staying connected connected defence, but besides decorativeness nan possessions,” he said. ” I deliberation nan first crippled we played Boston (on Oct. 13), we didn’t decorativeness a batch of possessions. They sewage a batch of easy points disconnected conscionable 50/50, balls, 2nd chance points, not boxing out.
“Then we talked astir it, we watched movie connected it, and past we worked connected it successful practice, and nan adjacent crippled we, I don’t deliberation they had that galore 2nd chance points, truthful we’ve conscionable sewage to support talking and support learning from each other.”
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Mitchell has been 1 of nan highlights of nan Raptors’ pre-season, applying changeless protect unit connected opponents’ shot handlers. He besides flirted pinch a double-double successful Tuesday’s triumph complete nan Celtics pinch 9 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal.
He said he wasn’t judge what his domiciled would beryllium connected nan squad erstwhile Quickley and swingman RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., return from injury, but said he has had ongoing conversations pinch caput coach Darko Rajakovic astir what’s next.
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“I cognize my domiciled is gonna get a small smaller, but I’ll still support playing to nan champion of my abilities defensively, get my teammates open, what I’ve been doing nan pre-season,” he said.
Rajakovic said he expects his players to make nan astir of nan adjacent 7 days, some successful believe and successful Friday’s crippled successful Brooklyn.
“We conscionable request to attraction connected maximizing each day,” he said. “It’s 7 days to nan location opener, but for america this full season, we’ve sewage to look astatine this full play arsenic 1 large chunk.
“The main attraction needs to beryllium for america to play hard, to study what it intends to play hard, and past to person fine-tuning from there.”
This study by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press