As the new NBA season approaches, there is a growing sense that this Raptors team needs to take another significant step — and much of that responsibility could fall on the shoulders of Scottie Barnes.
Toronto wrapped up another day of training camp in Québec City, with head coach Darko Rajaković providing an intriguing glimpse into what he expects from his team this season. The message was straightforward: the Raptors have areas they need to improve, but internally, there is also real belief that Barnes is ready to elevate his game again.
One of Toronto’s biggest priorities will be improving its three-point shooting.
Last season, the Raptors ranked 25th in the NBA in three-point frequency and 18th in three-point efficiency, leaving them with plenty of room for improvement from beyond the arc.
That becomes even more important after the departures of Sandro Mamukelashvili and Brandon Ingram, two of the team’s most efficient three-point shooters last season.
Rajaković knows Toronto cannot rely on just one or two players to solve the problem.
When asked who would need to step up from three-point range, the Raptors coach essentially pointed to the entire roster, naming Kawhi, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Jamison Battle, Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead among those who will have to contribute.
But perhaps the most important development could come from Barnes himself.
The Raptors star is coming off an impressive season in which he earned his first All-Star selection, finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team.
Yet Toronto does not believe Barnes has reached his ceiling.
In fact, Rajaković raised expectations even higher when discussing his young star.
Rather than expecting Barnes to simply replicate what he did last season, the Raptors coach said he expects him to be even better.
That belief could have major consequences for Toronto.
Barnes also appears to understand exactly where he needs to improve. Reflecting on his playoff performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he acknowledged that he played well but believed he could have taken his game to another level.
The areas he identified were particularly revealing.
Barnes wants to become more effective in isolation situations, improve his three-point shooting and become a more reliable fourth-quarter scorer. Those are precisely the areas that can separate an All-Star from a player capable of carrying a team deep into the postseason.
His confidence from outside could be particularly important.
Barnes shot 38.1% from three during the playoffs, showing that he is capable of becoming a genuine threat when defenses leave him space.
For Toronto, that development would change the equation.
If Barnes can consistently punish defenses from deep while becoming more aggressive late in games, the Raptors could have another offensive dimension that was not always available to them last season.
And Rajaković believes the motivation is already there.
According to the Raptors coach, Barnes wants to be the best.
That ambition could become one of the defining storylines of Toronto’s season.
The Raptors are entering a campaign in which the margin between being a promising young team and becoming a serious contender could depend on how quickly their key players develop.
Toronto needs more shooting. It needs more late-game production. It needs players around Barnes to consistently knock down open shots.
But above all, it needs its franchise cornerstone to take another leap.
Barnes appears determined to do exactly that.
And if he can turn his playoff flashes into a full-season standard, the Raptors may look very different when the games start to matter most.
The question now is whether Barnes can turn that ambition into the kind of production that pushes Toronto closer to the NBA’s top tier.
The season is about to provide the answer.
