Scottie Barnes went 8-for-10 for 19 points, six rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes against the Knicks on Tuesday, finishing plus-29. Kawhi Leonard shared the floor with him for the first time this season, and neither needed to force a thing.
A Lighter Load
Barnes carried a 22.6 percent usage rate last season, often as the clearest scoring option on nights Leonard was unavailable. That math changes with a healthy Leonard in the lineup. Tuesday's preseason win over the Knicks was the preview: Barnes scored efficiently in a shortened 22-minute outing while Leonard logged 21 points in just 17 minutes of his own. Neither had to carry the game alone, and Toronto scored 148 points doing it.
What The Numbers Show
Last season's full picture backs up where Barnes is most valuable. He averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists over 80 games, with a 114.6 offensive rating and a 110.0 defensive rating for a plus-4.6 net rating. His assist rate of 25.5 percent and true shooting mark of 57.7 percent point to a player who creates for others as much as he scores. The one soft spot was volume from three: 30.4 percent on only 2.8 attempts a night, well below his overall efficiency.
Paid To Stay
Barnes is making $41.8 million this season on a deal that climbs to $51.0 million by 2029-30, money committed to him as a two-way piece, not a high-volume scorer. He is not on the injury report heading into Thursday's game at Madison Square Garden. What he needs to be this season is what the role already asks of him: a playmaker and defender first, someone who lets catch-and-shoot threes come rather than hunting them, while Leonard absorbs more of the scoring burden.
What were Scottie Barnes' stats last season?
He averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists over 80 games, shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from three.
How does Scottie Barnes fit alongside Kawhi Leonard?
With Leonard healthy and scoring again, Barnes can lean on his playmaking and defense rather than carrying the offense, which lines up with how his numbers already work best.
