The anchor of the Raptors' defense has certainly inserted himself into All-Defensive First Team discussions, but is he in the DPOY conversation?
Through 50 games in the 2026 NBA season, the Toronto Raptors sit at 29-21, tied for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA trade deadline is just four days away, and at this point, it seems the Raptors, who have missed the playoffs for the last three straight years, are not quite ready to compete with the top teams in the league.
They have been without their starting center, Jakob Poeltl, for the last 20 straight games, severely limiting the front-court depth, along with general size and interior defense. As a result, All-Star Scottie Barnes has taken a significant leap defensively, flying around the court and guarding the opposing team’s best player regardless of position.
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) | © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
His defensive versatility has been an attribute to marvel at, and it is exemplified by his total stocks (steals and blocks) this season. The former No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft leads the league with 136 and has been the anchor of a Toronto defense that ranks ninth in the league for defensive rating with 112.4.
His defensive revelation hasn’t gone unnoticed, but head coach Darko Rajakovic believes it still needs to be talked about more. When speaking with the media ahead of Toronto’s matchup with the Utah Jazz, he was asked whether Barnes should be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, and he praised his star player.
“Definitely,” said Rajakovic. “In my eyes, Scottie [Barnes] needs to be, he has to be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.”
Since being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has been at the forefront of contenders to win the award, and will be for the next several years. However, with the NBA’s recent addition of a 65-game rule, he is likely to become disqualified from contention for all awards and All-NBA teams. Players can miss a maximum of 17 games in the regular season and still qualify, and with 34 games left in the Spurs’ season, Wembanyama is only allowed to miss three more to still be qualified.
Notoriously, the Defensive Player of the Year Award has largely become a big man’s award. Since 1990, there have only been four players to win the award who weren’t playing center at least secondarily for the team: Marcus Smart (2022), Kawhi Leonard (2015, 2016), Metta World Peace (2004), and Gary Payton (1996). With this in mind, guards or forwards truly must cement themselves as complete difference makers on the defensive end, and Barnes has inserted himself as one of those players.
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) | © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
His ability to shadow a superstar guard on the perimeter one night, while also being able to defend the paint against a superstar forward or center another night, has been incredibly impactful for Toronto. Supplying such tenacious defense while also contributing 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game is why Barnes is sure to be announced as an NBA All-Star tonight at 6:00 PM EST.