Raptors' Scottie Barnes returning to lineup on Friday vs. Wizards

 

Scottie Barnes will at last be able to play basketball against other players.

On Wednesday, Toronto's head coach Darko Rajakovic said that Barnes will be back in the starting lineup for the team's upcoming preseason match. The all-star forward hasn't played a basketball game in over seven months.

"I've been missing it each and every single day. Just ready to get back into that game action," said Barnes after practice at the OVO Athletic Centre. "Practising is a little different than when you go out there into the game.

"You bring that energy to practice each and every single day, but going out there for a game, it’s not like getting into game shape and having that intensity, having that feeling. I just can't wait to get that feeling back again."

Last season, Barnes averaged 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game, setting career highs. The 2022 NBA rookie of the year broke his hand on March 1 while blocking a jumper during a 120-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors, after being nominated to his first all-star squad in February.

His 2023–24 season was limited to just 60 games due to season-ending surgery that he required to repair the damage.

Barnes missed Toronto's 125-89 pre-season win over the Washington Wizards at Montreal's Bell Centre on Sunday for personal reasons, pushing his return to the court back by another week.

Rajakovic said that he expects Barnes will be available to play against the Wizards in Washington, D.C., on Friday. The Raptors second-year coach said he expects Barnes to embrace his role as the team's leader on and off the court.

Barnes officially signed a US$225 million, five-year contract extension on July 8 to stay with the Raptors. That deal could be worth up to $270 million if he meets the requirements for a supermax deal.

That contract codified what became apparent last season as Toronto's front office began a rebuild in earnest: Barnes is the cornerstone of the franchise's future. Rajakovic said that Barnes made the most of his time away from competitive basketball to get into the best shape of his life.