Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes will be heading into the 2025-26 season with some ambitious plans for himself and his team. While speaking on his YouTube channel, “Yaboyscottie“, Barnes expressed his aspirations for the upcoming year.
“I’mma try. I’mma try my best. I want it all. I’m trying to win everything. I want to make it to the playoffs. I want to be MVP. First team All-Defense. DPOY. I want it all. We’re striving for greatness this year, man. 100%.”
The Raptors forward has certainly set lofty expectations for the upcoming season. But can he truly accomplish this?
The challenge of winning multiple individual awards in the same campaign is immense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stands out as a recent example of a player who won the MVP award, along with the league scoring title.
What Barnes is aiming for, however, appears to be even more challenging. With his eyes set on the MVP and the DPOY award, the forward aims to place himself in hallowed company.
Only three players in NBA history have ever been able to achieve this feat. Michael Jordan did it in 1988, Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994, and most recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2020.
Given the quality of performance displayed by each of the aforementioned players, Barnes will have to be extraordinary if he wishes to make good on his promises.
In many ways, the 24-year-old possesses the skill set to do so. At 6’7″, Barnes combines tremendous athletic ability and defensive instincts with a versatile offensive skill set. In a system that caters to him, the forward is capable of being incredibly productive while contributing to his team’s efforts.
Although Barnes missed out on an All-Star selection last season, his averages weren’t far off from the year he received his first All-Star nod. With an average of 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game, the Raptors star is truly one of the most consistent two-way players in the league.
Given his output in the last two seasons, Barnes will need to significantly upgrade his performance if he wishes to contend for the MVP award. Given how tight the race has been in the past few seasons, he will need to have a sizable impact on Toronto’s performance to even be mentioned.
A more realistic starting point would be entering the playoff picture. The Raptors ended the previous campaign with an 11th-place finish, falling outside of the Play-In picture.
Given the state of the East heading into the 2025-26 season, the Raptors could realistically enter the playoff scene if they see consistent performances from players across the board. With rumors of some trades on the horizon, Toronto could also be planning some improvements.
Should the Raptors put the right pieces together, the team could be poised for a playoff push. With a motivated star at the helm, the Raptors could be due for a resurgence.
