Darko Rajakovic Isn’t Worried About Scottie Barnes After Scoreless Night Against Timberwolves

Scottie Barnes had a chance to take on a larger scoring role with Kawhi Leonard sidelined Sunday night. Instead, the Toronto Raptors left Minnesota with a 117-94 loss and a performance from Barnes that raised questions about how the team will look when Leonard is unavailable.

Barnes finished 0-for-12 from the field, including five misses from beyond the arc, and did not attempt a free throw. For a player expected to carry more of the offensive burden without Leonard, it was a difficult night to explain. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, however, did not believe Minnesota had done anything particularly effective to take Barnes out of the game.

“I don't think they did anything, to be honest with you, that they got him off the game,” Rajakovic told reporters postgame, via NBA.com. “He just missed his shots.”

Rajakovic's assessment stood in contrast to the concern surrounding Barnes' performance. With Leonard unavailable because of a knee injury, Toronto needed its other leading players to help fill the gap. Barnes struggled to provide the scoring, even as the Raptors found contributions elsewhere.

FanSided's Chris Lambert pointed to Barnes' lack of aggression as a concern, particularly given that he did not reach the free-throw line. Lambert noted that Barnes took only three shots at the rim in 28 minutes, a detail that raised questions about his willingness to attack the basket against a Minnesota defense anchored by Rudy Gobert.

The matchup presented real challenges for Toronto, with Gobert's size inside and Minnesota's strong early-season three-point shooting. The Raptors had enough offensive production from other players to keep the game more competitive if Barnes had been able to contribute.

Rajakovic saw the missed shots differently. He said he liked the looks Barnes generated and expressed confidence that the results would change the next time those opportunities came around.

“This is not going to happen again to Scottie,” Rajakovic said. “Scottie's going to make those shots next time.”

The coach's response leaves the larger question of Barnes' role without an immediate answer. One scoreless outing does not establish how Toronto will fare without Leonard over the course of a season, but Sunday's game offered an early look at the pressure that comes with asking Barnes to shoulder more of the offense.

There were other areas Rajakovic believed the Raptors could build on. Toronto forced Minnesota into 23 turnovers and collected 14 offensive rebounds while limiting the Timberwolves to nine offensive boards. But the shooting numbers proved too much to overcome, with the Raptors making just 38.5% of their shots from the field and 26% from three-point range, according to Rajakovic's postgame comments.

The Raptors now have film to review as they prepare for their next game. Leonard's status remains uncertain, with Rajakovic telling reporters that he would undergo further testing Monday before the team knew more.

For Barnes, the immediate challenge is responding to a night when the shots did not fall. Rajakovic made clear he was not ready to read more into the performance than that. Whether Barnes can turn that confidence into a stronger showing will matter if Toronto has to keep navigating games without Leonard.