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Paolo Banchero adds to growing buzz around Scottie Barnes

Originally posted on Raptors Republic | By Misha Nakhuda | Last updated Mar 30, 2026 1:52 PM ET

Scottie Barnes’s case for a spot on one of the league’s three All-NBA teams has taken a big step forward in the Raptors’ last two games. With Immanuel Quickley out due to plantar fasciitis, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic has elected to place Barnes at the point guard spot, and it has paid off in a major way.

Barnes has blossomed in his new role, averaging 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 13.5 assists. The Raptors have also put together two back-to-back convincing wins in a row. The first came against the New Orleans Pelicans 119-106; the second game came against the Orlando Magic 139-87.

It is clear that Barnes has been looking a lot more like his aggressive self lately. Even Magic’s Paolo Banchero gave Barnes high praise after the game:

“That’s a guy you would love to play with, just off the strength of how he contributes to his team,” Banchero said. “He’s not really ever caught up in the scoring. He’s always trying to look to find others, guards at a high level, and picks up full court. He’s always been a super impactful player in my eyes in terms of the stuff he does for the team. He’s just a winning player.”

The 15 assists tallied by Barnes against the Magic are the best of his career. Barnes is the definition epitome of a jack of all trades, a player who can do it all at a high level. His three steals in the game also have him a career-best 102 steals on the season along with his 109 blocks, making him the only player in the NBA to top 100 of each so far this year.

Following the game, Barnes stated, “I think we were all super locked in.” Just trying to keep causing turnovers and keep trying as hard as we can on defense—it just helped the lead grow for us.”

You can read all about Barnes impact in his new role with the Raptors here:

Barnes had countless highlight-reel passes, some to players who do not often get playing time. To name a few, he had a drive-and-kick to Gradey Dick, who knocked down a wide-open triple from the right wing. Barnes fed Alijah Martin on the fastbreak for a reverse layup. And he also made a gorgeous pass in transition to the corner to AJ Lawson, who drilled another wide-open look from deep. He can access every area of the court with a live dribble, which is enormously dangerous for defences.