Scottie Barnes is an extremely promising rookie that plays for the Toronto Raptors. He is a versatile power forward who can guard multiple positions on the basketball court. He was a legitimate contender for the Rookie of the Year award and was a key part of the Toronto Raptors making the playoffs. During the regular season, Scottie Barnes averaged 15.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 3.5 APG.
The Toronto Raptors lost their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers in a blowout where they seemed like they were never in the game. On top of their loss, Scottie Barnes got injured during that game, after Joel Embiid came down on top of his foot. The official diagnosis was an ankle sprain, but the injury definitely looked fairly serious.
Scottie Barnes was helped off the court to the locker room after Joel Embiid stepped on his foot in the 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/HzlZj3vh9I
— ESPN (@espn) April 17, 2022
Left ankle sprain for Scottie Barnes. He won't return tonight and is headed for imaging, per Raptors.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 17, 2022
Losing Scottie Barnes is a tough blow for the team. He was having an elite game prior to getting injured, tallying 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists for the Raptors. His loss will be felt by the Toronto Raptors on both ends of the floor.
With that being said, the Toronto Raptors still have a fair amount of talent. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are both players that have gotten All-Star selections, and they will need to step up and deliver if the Toronto Raptors are to avoid going down 2-0 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Toronto Raptors are clearly still a solid defensive team, but the edge in this matchup is held by the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid was an MVP candidate and won the 2021-22 scoring title. Some have criticized him for his reliance on free throws, but Joel Embiid would likely still be able to be a dominant player if he didn’t get a lot of calls.
Hopefully, Scottie Barnes is able to return soon to give the Toronto Raptors a boost. They will definitely welcome a quick return from him, but his health should definitely be considered the priority.
