Scotty Barnes on Raptors' early exit in Spurs loss: 'It was a bad look'

TORONTO – With the clock running low in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Scotty Barnes left the club. Toronto He got up on the Raptors bench and headed to the locker room.

Barnes' anger was palpable after rookie Victor Uembayama's triple-double past San Antonio. Toronto 122-99 Monday night. But leaving the court with seconds left in the game is considered poor basketball form, especially for a player who is the future of the Raptors franchise and part of the team's leadership core.

“It was a bad look,” Barnes said at practice the next day. “It was my fault.

“If it affected them in any way, it's my fault.”

Wambayama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, finished with 27 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks in the Spurs' win. He also had five assists, putting him in the all-too-rare quadruple-double range.

Barnes became the face of the Raptors franchise after trading star forward Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 17. He was also. TorontoThe No. 1 scoring option, but he had just seven points in a loss to San Antonio, which tied for the third-most points per game in the NBA this season.

The six-foot-seven Barnes is looking to become a playmaker and had nine assists against the Spurs while leading the Raptors with five turnovers. He admits that when he's not playing well, his body language on the court can be bad and it can cause him anxiety.

“I think it's more when I'm upset or emotional, that's on my end,” said Barnes, who noted that he committed most of his turnovers in the first quarter. “I was just disappointed, angry with myself. You just need to take care of the ball.

“That led to easy fast break points. Showing emotion and not coming back cost us dearly. More disappointed with myself and the way I played. It really has nothing to do with anyone. I'm more upset on my part.”

Barnes, 22, has averaged 19.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists this season and will make his first All-Star appearance this weekend. Barnes had a meeting with the Raptors coaching staff on Tuesday morning.

Head coach Darko Rajakovic said: “In our team, I'm tough on them, when I'm talking privately, I'm very upset with them.” “I always go against them and face the truth (…) I always protect my guys and I want to fight my guys, I want to be in the public eye because of them.

“But at the same time, whatever you have to say, in an individual situation, in a team situation, they hear everything.”

The Raptors finished with 39.8 percent of their field goals, including 25.8 from three-point range in the loss to San Antonio. The Spurs shot 52.9 percent from the field, including 36.7 percent from three.

Rajakovic said his roster — overhauled with four major trades between December and January — is still getting to know each other, learning their new roles and how to communicate with one another.

“The main thing I talk about in my film and with the players in practice is what can we control in these situations?” How do you make it better for us?' said Rajakovic. “I always want to have a positive mentality and try to solve problems and go through the process – grow at the same time.”

RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., is one of the centerpieces Toronto taken early, he was released from practice on Tuesday for personal reasons.

The Raptors host the Pacers on Wednesday night, with a video tribute to Siakam planned before the national anthems.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 13, 2024.