Already playing in the All-Star Game on Sunday, Barnes will now be participating on All-Star Saturday night as well.
NBA All-Star Weekend is officially this week, and fans of the Toronto Raptors will have no shortage of seeing their franchise pieces in action. Beginning with the Rising Stars Game, Collin Murray-Boyles and Alijah Martin will be on the Rookie and G-League Teams, respectively.
Participating in the games Sunday will be two-time All-Star Scottie Barnes and head coach Darko Rajakovic. The former No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will be playing with the USA Stripes team, while the Serbian coach will be leading Team World. One-time All-Star Brandon Ingram still awaits the announcement for the injury replacements, as he was left off the initial reserve list for the Eastern Conference.
Toronto Raptors guard/forward Brandon Ingram (3) | © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The path for Ingram to participate in the All-Star festivities won’t be simple; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already been replaced by Alperen Sengun (via NBAPR), leaving just Giannis Antetokounmpo needing a replacement, for now. It’s to be seen whether he will be replaced by another foreign-born player or if it will be an Eastern Conference representative.
Before Sunday’s games, the contenders for the Shooting Stars competition (also known as the Skills Challenge) have been announced, and it also includes a Raptor.
As a part of Team All-Star in the Shooting Stars competition, Barnes will join Chet Holmgren and Richard Hamilton as they compete against Team Cameron ( Duke alumni), Team Harper (members of the Harper family), and Team Knicks (current and former members of the New York Knicks).
This addition of the former Florida State Seminole officially gives Toronto representation on every day of All-Star Weekend. There aren’t any Raptors competing in the Three-Point Contest or Dunk Contest, but Barnes will kick off All-Star Saturday night. It’s interesting to see him team up with what could be his biggest competitor for the Defensive Player of the Year award, as Holmgren leads the league in individual defensive rating with 104.5 (via StatMuse).
Barnes’ stats don’t blow anyone away. He’s averaging very similar numbers to both of his previous two years, contributing 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game on 51/31/81 shooting splits. His all-around impact both offensively and defensively is what sets this season apart from his previous few.
He has shown night in and night out that he can guard the best player on the opposing team, regardless of position. Simultaneously, the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year has improved his offensive skill set tremendously. He has shown the ability to be the primary playmaker when needed while also creating his own shot in key moments. This skill set will be on display next Saturday night, as Barnes will try to put on a show for the fans in Los Angeles.