SHOCKING NEWS: Raptors key player allegedly departing due to…
Barnes will handle the highs and lows, according to a former Raptors player, “as long as his head is in the right place.”
It’s unfortunate, but at this stage in the Raptors’ post-championship decline, attending a game is primarily done to see the men on the opposing team.
Witness the Pascal Siakam tribute night on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena, where the Toronto franchise’s greatest success story was greeted with a customarily cordial reception on his first visit back since being traded to the Indiana Pacers last month.
We say “predictably,” actually. However, Siakam, who has always maintained his modesty, admitted that he didn’t know what to anticipate from the rabble at the shootaround on Wednesday morning.
He remarked, “I hope they’re happy to see me.”
Taking everything into account, the pre-match uncertainty is reasonable. Siakam was a key member of the team that won the 2019 NBA championship; his 32 points on 14-for-17 shooting in Game 1 of the Finals stands as one of the greatest big-moment performances in franchise history. However, he was also the focal point of many less-than-glory moments during the club’s embarrassing collapse after the championship. Since the departure of Siakam and OG Anunoby, that decline has reached even lower lows. Siakam is also well aware that many fans’ recollections of him aren’t limited to championship champagne.
Siakam addressed the reality of his previous existence as the face of a Raptors team that has only won one playoff series since winning the championship, saying, “Sometimes when you’re in this situation… it feels like everyone is hating you.”
Scottie Barnes is aware of the emotion. Barnes, a rookie NBA all-star with clear skill and intriguing potential, is the newly crowned face of Raptorland. In addition, he just embarrassed himself by coming off the bench in the final seconds of Monday’s lopsided loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
If Barnes’ performance on the court was pitiful, going only 3-for-15 from the field with five errors and three blocks from Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama, his demeanour was even more dismal. It was all ugly—the slouched body language, the giving up on plays, the constant moaning at the refs. Thus, too, was his seeming lack of manners in hastily making his way to the locker room while there were still a few seconds left in the game.
Nobody is flawless. Everyone merits a second chance. Thus, one could understand why Barnes’ supporters pardoned him a season ago after he gave his off-season workouts a less-than-fulsome effort following his rookie-of-the-year frenzy. Barnes later admitted he had played his unimpressive sophomore season in substandard shape. He’s only twenty-one, they claimed.
Alright, it makes sense. But now that he’s not exactly acting like a high-character leader at age 22, the question is: How old must he be before his age is no longer an acceptable excuse?
There is not much time left. After this season, Barnes will be eligible for a contract extension. Considering his background, he will surely pursue the biggest rookie contract possible, which has the potential to exceed $200 million (U.S.). NBA teams are accustomed to the danger that comes with any contract of that size. However, considering this week’s events and the fact that Barnes has occasionally disagreed with truth-telling veterans, let’s just say that there will be more than the normal caution when it comes to approving that kind of expenditure.
