Scottie Barnes’ free-throw numbers have become one of the loudest talking points around the Raptors early this season, and the frustration is easy to understand. A player who does most of his damage inside the arc was averaging just 3.6 free throws per game before Toronto’s West Coast trip, a number that has fueled plenty of debate in the fan base and beyond.
The whistle has picked up a bit over the last two games. Barnes went to the line 28 times across Toronto’s matchups with both LA teams, which at least suggests the door isn’t completely shut.
Still, that kind of stretch can be fleeting, and it’s too soon to know whether officials will keep giving him that kind of treatment. The bigger point is that while Barnes clearly hasn’t gotten the same whistle as some players in his tier, the officiating isn’t the whole story.
His shot profile matters here, too.
Barnes has opened the season with a noticeably better midrange game, and that’s part of why the free throws haven’t piled up the way people expected. Against the Orlando Magic, he took 32 two-point shots and got only three free-throw attempts.
That’s a rough number, but it’s also a reminder that not every shot attempt creates the same foul pressure. Pull-up jumpers and fadeaways don’t invite whistles the way hard drives to the rim do, even if they start in roughly the same area of the floor.
The numbers back that up. According to Cleaning the Glass, 53 percent of Barnes’ shots this season have come from the midrange, which puts him in the 95th percentile among wings.
He’s also in the 88th percentile on short midrange attempts and only the 65th percentile on shots at the rim. The sample is still tiny, but if the discussion is about why Barnes is living at the line less often than expected, his growing comfort in the midrange has to be part of it.
That doesn’t mean the shot is a problem in itself. Barnes is a power forward, and if he can make those looks consistently, there’s nothing wrong with him taking them.
The issue is that a few of those possessions could turn into extra steps toward the basket instead of settling for pull-ups. That’s where the free throws live.
What stands out most is how assertive Barnes has been as a scorer overall. He’s been more aggressive this season, and that part has been encouraging.
But there are still possessions where he doesn’t fully use his size, even though he’s a 6-foot-8 forward who can bully defenders and force contact at the rim. If he leans into that more, the whistles should follow.
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The problem, as always, is getting from intrigue to reality. Toronto would have to navigate a tricky financial picture and the kind of salary-cap hurdles that can stall even a sensible idea before it gets off the ground, which is why this remains more of a future possibility than a live negotiation for now. Still, if the Magics direction changes or Toronto keeps looking for a center who fits multiple roles, Carters name is one that could linger on the Raptors radar. [Read more 🡒]
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The longer-term question is availability, because there is still no clear timetable for his return to play. That leaves the Raptors in a familiar holding pattern, weighing upside against uncertainty while trying to map out who can actually fill minutes at center. Bittles college background and his Summer League flashes make him worth watching, but for now the path from intriguing prospect to real rotation option remains unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
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Graves also represents the kind of decision teams hate most: the player you want to keep because he fits the long-term picture, and the player you may have to move because the present is demanding more. Toronto has to weigh its future draft flexibility against the need to improve now, especially with uncertainty hanging over what those future picks might actually become. The ceiling on this roster is becoming clearer, and so is the pressure to decide whether patience is still the right bet. [Read more 🡒]