How Raptors wing RJ Barrett ended up exactly where he needs to be

Barrett’s teammate Immanuel Quickley, who was portion of the package the Raptors received for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn, sewage the news astatine the aforesaid time. Next point you know, the brace — besties pinch the Knicks — were moving up and down the hallway for illustration kids celebrating a snowfall day. “When I sewage to spot him successful the hallway, he was excited,” remembers Quickley. “He was jumping astir and stuff. He was excited to spell backmost home. It was real.”

A whirlwind followed. The brace caught a backstage pitchy bound for Toronto connected New Year’s Eve and recovered themselves successful the starting lineup connected Jan. 1 for a triumph complete the Cavaliers. Two days aft first getting news of the deal, Barrett heard his named called successful pregame introductions — “Bringing the ‘Sauga to the Six” — by Raptors hype man Mark ‘Strizzzy’ Strong.

Barrett grew up a Raptors fan. At his introductory news conference, he not only name-checked franchise icon DeMar DeRozan, but Spanish constituent defender Jose Calderon, and the 2012 waste and acquisition for Kyle Lowry. In a later interview, he casually referenced Sonny Weems, who started 28 games for a Raptors squad that went 22-60 successful 2010-11. His father, Rowan Barrett, now the GM of Canada’s elder men’s nationalist team, utilized to bring RJ to games, introducing him to players and familiarizing him pinch the convention he’d been focussed connected making since he put it astatine the apical of the imagination committee he had framed arsenic 12-year-old. “It was a blessing,” Barrett says of being traded home. But still a mobility nagged astatine him, 1 to do pinch timing alternatively than process aliases destination. It’s uncommon for large moves to spell down successful December, much than 2 months earlier the February waste and acquisition deadline. “That’s what amazed maine the most,” he says almost a twelvemonth later. “I’m the first waste and acquisition of the year. Like, why are we getting traded correct now?”

What benignant of subordinate the Raptors were getting successful Barrett wasn’t instantly clear erstwhile news of the woody broke. In Quickley’s case, the fresh was obvious: he was a floor-spacing defender arsenic comfortable pinch the shot and playing disconnected of it, making him the cleanable theoretical complement to Raptors cornerstone Scottie Barnes. But while Barrett had his stock of highpoints successful Gotham — his dunk complete Bogdan Bogdanovich successful the first information of the 2021 playoffs and his game-winning triple to headdress a 25-point comeback complete Boston astatine Madison Square Garden were some halfway memories for highlight-starved Knicks fans — extracurricular the feel-good buzz of bringing location a section talent successful the early premier of his career, really he would fresh connected the level successful Toronto wasn’t clear. His champion violative accomplishment was pounding the overgarment pinch his long-stepping left-handed drives, and his clearest weakness was his spot-up shooting, not dissimilar Barnes. Both were astatine their champion playing pinch the ball. There seemed a consequence of overlap, which tin suffocate an NBA offence. Bringing ‘Sauga to the Six was storybook stuff, but only if it worked.

Now, based connected a astir 50-game sample size, it seems those concerns tin beryllium group aside. When Barrett takes the level Dec. 9 for his first crippled successful Toronto against his aged Knicks team, location will beryllium nary arguing pinch the statistics: The champion hoops of his profession has travel since he moved backmost to Mississauga. As a Raptor, he’s averaging 22.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, while shooting 51.1 per cent from the level and 36.8 per cent from three. For comparison, Pascal Siakam, the two-time all-NBA action whose minutes and domiciled Barrett much aliases little absorbed erstwhile Siakam was traded to Indiana past January, averaged 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists connected 52.2/31.7 shooting splits for Toronto past play astatine property 29. That was capable for the Pacers to motion Siakam to a four-year statement worthy $189 cardinal and taking him done his age-34 season. With 2 years and $57.3 cardinal remaining connected his deal, the lawsuit tin beryllium made that Barrett is out-playing his contract, making him — successful NBA position — a bargain pinch upside.

Sitting successful the plush theatre-style chairs wherever the Raptors watch crippled movie astatine the OVO Athletic Centre — a room sumptuous capable you can’t thief but wonderment if there’s a vino cellar disconnected to the broadside location — Barrett goes done the reasons for his hometown leap. They scope from the passion he has for wearing his favourite team’s jersey and playing connected the aforesaid level arsenic his puerility heroes, to uncovering a domiciled successful an offence that amended plays to his strengths, to simply escaping from a Knicks offence pinch a predetermined hierarchy. “Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle — it ain’t that difficult to fig out,” is really Quickley explains Barrett’s before-and-after statistical snapshot. “Two guys that were each stars, all-NBA? Anybody understands that.”

There are nary difficult feelings connected Barrett’s side. “I deliberation that those guys were truthful bully that we didn’t request the cuts and worldly … they’re gonna put the shot successful the basket,” he says. “In hoops sometimes, amended offence wins, and it intelligibly worked, it’s effective … I was capable to do my point [in New York]. It’s conscionable here, I’m much efficient.”

How?

“No. 1, the marque of hoops is different. I deliberation it fits my style a small more. The squad that we have, we’re young, we run,” Barrett says of his club, which ranks 5th successful the NBA successful fastbreak scoring arsenic a team. (Barrett ranks 3rd successful the aforesaid class among players.) “I’ve ever been a feline that’s been bully successful transition, truthful that ever helps … and I deliberation group heard erstwhile [Quickley] was like, ‘He only cuts erstwhile he’s gonna score.’” Barrett laughs earlier continuing. “But I trim much [here] conscionable because I cognize I person a chance to get [the ball], and moreover erstwhile I don’t get it, I’m not upset astir it because I cognize I’m getting it connected the adjacent 1 … If you trim each the clip and you ne'er get the ball, you’re astir apt not gonna want to cut.”

That’s disconnected the ball. With the shot successful his hands, Barrett has developed into a high-efficiency battering ram. Among those pinch astatine slightest 20 games played this season, Barrett is 3rd successful points scored astatine the rim – down only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis — and is the only subordinate nether 6-foot-11 successful the apical 10. Barrett gets to the rim moreover though defences mostly play him to thrust alternatively than sprout and everyone successful the NBA knows his first, 2nd and 3rd prime is to get to his near hand. He’s developed counters and is finishing right-handed amended than ever, but much often than not, if he wants to get to his left, he does. Even his teammates don’t understand it. “I consciousness for illustration that’s a crazy skill. When I watch him and spot really he does it, I inquire myself, ‘How the hellhole does he do that?’” says Barnes. “It’s crazy that he tin get done and beryllium capable to get location truthful easily, done the interaction and conscionable beryllium capable to get immoderate easy ones, too. He’s the aggressor erstwhile he’s driving downhill and he knows really to onslaught those spaces, return up the space. He’s conscionable very elite astatine it.”

An moreover much encouraging improvement is Barrett’s expertise to move his knack for getting 2 feet into the overgarment into opportunities for his teammates. He is 1 of conscionable 5 players successful the NBA to mean astatine slightest 23 points, six rebounds and 5.9 assists per crippled this play — that past number astir double his profession average. As a Knick, Barrett had 7 aliases much assists six times successful 297 games. In Toronto, he’s done it 7 times this season, including games of 12, 10 and a career-best 15 helpers past month.

Drew Hanlen is 1 of the NBA’s astir respected improvement coaches and has been moving pinch Barrett since the young helping sewage a play of skills sessions for his 15th birthday. “I retrieve he still had braces on, and he was excited to get a image pinch maine because I was this feline who was moving pinch these NBA players,” says Hanlen, who useful pinch Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal, among others. “Most kids inquire for a caller Xbox, you know?”

Hanlen feels for illustration the crippled Barrett’s shown successful Toronto has been hiding successful plain sight. “I mean, I’ve seen him astatine the U-19 worlds [where Barrett led Canada to a historical golden medal] beryllium a triple-double threat. I’ve seen him astatine Montverde [the prestigious Florida precocious schoolhouse Barrett led to an undefeated play and a nationalist championship] beryllium a triple-double threat.” In Barrett’s 1 play astatine Duke, he and Zion Williamson tied for the squad lead successful scoring, while Barrett was 2nd successful rebounding and assists.

Indiana Pacers defender and Olympic teammate Andrew Nembhard grew up playing nine hoops pinch Barrett and starred alongside him astatine Montverde. He vouches for Hanlen’s take, albeit pinch an aged friend’s wink: “He’s ever been a score-first, score-second, score-third type of guy,” Nembhard says “But he’s ever been capable to make those passes, he’s not 1 of those blackhole type of guys.”

Still, moreover if the pieces were there, the violative subordinate Barrett is showing himself to beryllium now is the best-case script each concerned hoped for erstwhile he joined the Raptors. “When he sewage traded, I conscionable retrieve texting him and saying, ‘Now you’ll beryllium capable to show group really bully you really are,’” says Hanlen. “And it’s not for illustration the 2nd he sewage to Toronto we magically changed his changeable and his playmaking went up. It was conscionable his domiciled changed and his opportunity changed, and now he’s capable to showcase what we consciousness he’s been capable to do going backmost to precocious school.”

That occurrence isn’t solely a matter of luck and circumstance, of course. In the constricted free-time Barrett had this summertime — betwixt representing Canada astatine the Olympics and participating successful off-season Raptors mini-camps successful Spain and Miami — his training focused successful 2 areas. One was ongoing activity adjusting the way of his near limb truthful it’s much successful statement pinch his near enarthrosis erstwhile he shoots, making for a much relaxed, fluid motion. The different was polishing up the playmaking skills he’s showing disconnected this season. “We worked connected not forcing drives, being capable to distribute, playing successful much handoffs and shot screens,” says Hanlen. “We really thought that he had a chance to do what you’re seeing a batch of this season, wherever he’s much of a lead defender and being capable to make plays. Another point was pace, that meant slowing down truthful we tin make amended reads. Also, that intends slowing down truthful you tin play much disconnected 2 feet astir the rim. We conscionable knew that would amended his efficiency.”

Barrett’s improvement hasn’t gone unnoticed successful New York, but for a assortment of reasons, including really the waste and acquisition has worked retired for the Knicks, there’s nary ill-will from Knicks fans astir their erstwhile lottery prime reaching caller heights successful different market. “Not everybody tin grip New York, particularly a subordinate pinch those type of expectations, the highest prime taken since Patrick Ewing, that’s not for everybody,” says Tommy Beer, long-time Knicks writer and laminitis of the KnicksCentric newsletter connected Substack. “But RJ, I think, was built for it … There were stretches location he’d play really good and sprout plus-40 per cent from 3 and take sides astatine a higher level, and location would beryllium times wherever he would struggle, sometimes for months. But RJ, the person, was ever accountable, ever dealt pinch the media professionally, ne'er took it retired connected his teammates, ne'er sulked, ever looked for illustration he gave 100 per cent connected the floor. And I deliberation that resonated. I deliberation that’s why, to this day, erstwhile I’ll tweet retired immoderate stats astir RJ playing good [in Toronto], the comments are always: ‘Good for RJ,’ ‘Hope he does really well,’ ‘Star J, he’s the man.’ People are happy for his success.”

Some of it is emblematic stuff, particularly for a subordinate comparatively caller to shouldering this overmuch work astatine the NBA level. Some of it is simply a consequence of his top spot — unwavering self-belief and determination to triumph — occasionally being a liability too.

“I loved watching [the Netflix docu-series] Starting 5 and Quarterback and The Last Dance. I emotion watching those because sometimes I conscionable consciousness not normal, because I want to hit anybody that’s successful beforehand of me,” Barrett says. “And sometimes I play paper games and worldly pinch my friends and group don’t for illustration to play pinch maine because I’m going astatine your neck, for illustration I’m trying to destruct you astatine everything. … So it’s bully to watch those and see, ‘Okay, I’m not the only personification that’s for illustration that.’ Things started to spell crazy because I conscionable want to triumph truthful bad, you know?”

In hoops terms, deploying that aggressiveness successful a controlled measurement is an ongoing process. “I really looked astatine past twelvemonth [with the Raptors] almost for illustration a 2nd rookie play successful the facet of identifying what he needed to activity on, what he needed to improve, and what we thought he could really go [in Toronto],” says Hanlen. “Most higher draught picks are thrown into bad organizations and they struggle for years, but they get to study from their mistakes. He sewage thrown into a business wherever the Knicks had beautiful bully teams and expectations to win. And truthful he possibly didn’t get to research aspects of his crippled the measurement that different draught picks do, early successful his career. And truthful that’s why, I deliberation that he’s conscionable scratching the aboveground of what he tin become.”

Still, not everyone is arsenic convinced. When ESPN came retired precocious pinch its database of the NBA’s apical 25 players nether 25 based connected early potential, Barrett wasn’t connected it.

The Raptors are wished to thief him research his ceiling — and the ways he tin thief them to return to competitory relevance. Assistant coach Jama Mahlalela is simply a changeless during Barrett’s pregame and off-day workouts and caput coach Darko Rajakovic leans successful erstwhile needed too. Early successful November, Barrett suffered his first extended slump successful Toronto, a six-game agelong wherever he changeable conscionable 33 per cent from the level and committed astir 4 turnovers a game. On a Sunday greeting successful Los Angeles, his squad having dropped each six contests, Barrett met pinch Raptors coaches astatine the squad hotel. Expectations were made clear: Be better, don’t fto scoring impact his power aliases attraction to detail. Defensively, were his adjacent outs good? Was he connected constituent successful his pick-and-roll coverage? Was he tagging his man connected container outs? Was he staying engaged disconnected the ball? Offensively, was he getting 2 feet successful the overgarment and making the correct sounds and elemental passes? Scoring tin travel go, but it can’t unreality the different parts of his game. “Players are quality beings, they’re not perfect,” says Rajakovic. “I wanted him to cognize that I person his back, that I judge successful him and that I deliberation he’s an astonishing subordinate … you cognize aft the rain, the sun ever comes out.”

Far from Barrett getting his backmost up, he near the gathering emotion a consciousness of gratitude. “I meet pinch Darko a lot. Darko beryllium connected my ass,” says Barrett. “There’s been games wherever probably, to the fan’s standards, I played really well, but he still gave maine shit. Like, it’s not conscionable astir 1 facet of the game, it’s for each areas of the crippled and increasing to beryllium the champion subordinate that I tin be.

“He’s very, you know, consecutive to the point, but very encouraging, very encouraging. He believes successful me,” Barrett continues. “Whenever a coach has that spirit, you want to tally done a wall for him.” Since coming disconnected that roadworthy travel Barrett has averaged 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 49 per cent from the floor, including 37 per cent from three.

With the day of the waste and acquisition approaching and Nathan’s passing conscionable aft that, Barrett still looks backmost almost successful disbelief that location was ever a clip erstwhile he would unreserved retired of the Raptors locker room aft a game, caput consecutive for the ICU astatine Sunnybrook Hospital and walk the nighttime connected a cot successful by his brother’s bedside, talking erstwhile they still could, texting erstwhile they couldn’t. It had been a agelong clip since the 2 brothers were successful the aforesaid metropolis for much than visits. Their property spread meant that erstwhile RJ near location to spell to precocious schoolhouse successful Florida, Nathan was still successful mediate school. Even erstwhile Nathan joined him astatine Montverde, they were connected different timelines and schedules. “I was connected the varsity team, we practiced different times, we were successful Hawaii, China — we travelled a lot. Our family is utilized to being distant from each other,” says Barrett.

Now, though, Nathan was nary longer a kid. He was an adult, coming into his own. They were getting reacquainted arsenic peers. Their dada could spot it. “[Nathan] was learning things astatine university, he was asking questions. I’d get a telephone each day, ‘Dad, I learned this, what do you think?’ And I had to beryllium fresh pinch an answer. So, he’s gaining contented and was really becoming a sounding committee for RJ,” Rowan says. “For anyone that’s been done [the abrupt nonaccomplishment of a loved one], it ne'er goes away. Maybe the strength that you consciousness each and each infinitesimal changes, but you’re still going to person your moments. The scars are ever there.”

There were a batch of family decisions to beryllium made complete the people of Nathan’s illness, pinch RJ included successful the process. His mother, Kesha, sang to her boy and consulted pinch her sister, a nurse. Members of their religion were often around. Rowan took copious notes successful their regular meetings pinch doctors. Keeping RJ playing, staying pinch the team, travelling, was a corporate determination too, providing an land of normalcy successful a acheronian sea.

The Raptors were connected a agelong roadworthy travel and Barrett had conscionable played a superbly against Denver successful an eyelash-close crippled the injury-ravaged Raptors had nary business moreover being in. He sewage the telephone the adjacent greeting that it was clip to travel location again. “I ever thought, ‘He’s gonna make it,’ you know?’’ says Barrett. “And the measurement my relative acted, he didn’t enactment for illustration he was sick. He’d beryllium mad. Like, they’d effort to do worldly and he’s like, ‘Man, I can’t hold till I’m retired of here.’ Like, ‘I’m gonna get retired of here, this will beryllium complete soon. So this doesn’t matter. I’m gonna beryllium retired here. I’ll beryllium flying planes.’ It’s like, ‘Don’t interest astir it. I’ll beryllium good.’

“And past arsenic it sewage to later on, he was successful a coma for a small spot before. So it was, like, astatine that point, you benignant of knew he was going to pass. He went from being connected 1 instrumentality to, like, 15 different machines, yeah? So, you knew. You knew it was gonna beryllium time, but he waited for me.”

Barrett sewage a formation from Denver successful the greeting and Nathan passed later that time surrounded by family, friends and members of their church. The doctors and nurses who had cared for Nathan for much than 2 months wept pinch them.

Looking back, Barrett understands amended now why we was traded, wherever and when. After Nathan died, he spent astir of the adjacent 2 weeks astatine location pinch a quartet of aged hoops friends he’s known since they were 10 aliases 11. Even now, his parents are astir the corner, some his grandmothers adjacent capable to cheque in. “It perfectly helped maine get done it,” he says.

And truthful he has his answer. To him, it wasn’t astir the Knicks’ title aspirations aliases the Raptors’ plans for their rebuild. In ray of everything, it had to beryllium thing bigger. “God is the only mentation I person for that,” he says. “I’m like, why did they waste and acquisition maine correct now? It’s Christmastime, and by New Year’s Eve I was dormant successful my edifice [in Toronto] and I was playing for the Raptors the adjacent day. I was like, what’s going on, you know?”

He and Nathan enactment successful touch. Since they were truthful utilized to being isolated arsenic they each pursued their dreams, it’s almost go a communicative he tells himself that Nathan’s not gone, he’s conscionable not here. “It’s for illustration sometimes it conscionable feels for illustration he’s astatine school,” Barrett says. “Yeah, that’s benignant of really I effort to header pinch it.”

Barrett still sounds their matter chains, and if the master jock successful him has finely tuned his expertise to compartmentalize, he still melts astatine definite moments, a photograph representation popping up connected his phone, a definite song, for illustration “Tombstone” by Rod Wave, the video for which ends pinch a young boy buried excessively soon — “if I perceive that, I’m going to outcry automatically,” he says. Being astatine location intends everything to Barrett, and much than ever because its someway easier to support his relative adjacent here. He has ‘NTB Forever’ tattooed connected his wrist, kissing it earlier he takes the floor.

“It feels for illustration he’s complete me, you know, protecting me. I ever consciousness for illustration he’s watching me,” Barrett says. “Or I get small signs of him, for illustration a vertebrate will alert to the model and it’ll conscionable beryllium sitting location looking astatine me, and I’m like, ‘What you doing here?  Of each times for that to happen, it’s correct present erstwhile I’m astatine the window?’ It’s things for illustration that.”

Living wherever he does successful Mississauga, it’s an easy travel to sojourn his brother’s gravesite. When he goes, he usually brings Nathan’s dog, Rilo, and they each talk. In those moments Barrett is much than astatine home, he’s precisely wherever he was meant to be.