Scottie Barnes, Darko Rajakovic, and the Toronto Raptors could do no wrong against the lowly Detroit Pistons, as their 142-113 win was someone not nearly as close as the scoreline indicated. Barnes did his part, putting up an insane +37 while amassing 17 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists in just 25 minutes.
The Raptors hired Rajakovic in large part due to his plan for this offense and how it would get the most out of Barnes. While he has a very promising skillset, it seems like Barnes is thriving under Rajakovic because the coaching staff has simplified their approach on the offensive end.
Rajakovic said that players who can be good at two or three things will have long careers and earn a few All-Star nominations, but players who think they can be good at four things will be out of the league expeditiously. This quote has framed his handling of Barnes and the positive results that followed.
Barnes looked like a jack of all trades and master of none at times under Nick Nurse, doing a little bit of everything without finding his niche to hone in on. The results speak for themselves, as Barnes has put up numbers that could end up with him getting an All-Star nod.
