Toronto Raptors’ RJ Barrett proving to be playoff tough
CLEVELAND – After the Raptors’ gritty Game 4 win over Cleveland, RJ Barrett was reflecting on his head-to-head battle with Cavaliers all-star guard Donovan Mitchell and recalled an outdated interview with PJ Tucker.
The two-time former Raptor and 14-year NBA veteran was a visitor on JJ Redick‘s podcast, The Old Man and The Three, again in 2021. Tucker was requested about guarding Kevin Durant through the iconic second-round collection between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets from a couple of months prior.
Tucker’s Bucks went on to win the championship that season, however they wanted seven video games – and an time beyond regulation interval in Game 7 – to get previous Brooklyn as Durant averaged 35.4 factors in that collection. Each sport, KD would refill the stat sheet, as nice gamers do. One of the hardest perimeter defenders in current reminiscence, Tucker would come again the subsequent sport, problem the long run Hall of Famer to the perfect of his potential, and as he instructed Redick, dare him to do it once more.
Barrett has been making an attempt to undertake the identical mentality in his matchup with Mitchell, the NBA’s seventh-leading scorer over the course of the common season.
“I think Donovan has had success on me in this series,” Barrett stated of Mitchell, who totaled 62 factors on 43 pictures within the first two video games, each Cavs wins.
“But I’m going to be there, I’m going to fight to the best of my abilities, my teammates are going to have my back, and I’m just going to [continue] “to guard.”
The Raptors swingman is not precisely identified for his protection, and it is in all probability not the very first thing that jumps out about his improbable playoff debut for his hometown workforce.
Through 4 video games, Barrett is Toronto’s second-leading scorer, barely trailing Scottie Barnes. He’s averaging 24.3 factors and capturing 55 per cent from the sphere (48 per cent from three-point vary), whereas taking part in extra minutes than everybody however Barnes.
Going into Tuesday’s slate of video games, he was main the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring. His offense has been important, particularly with Brandon Ingram – the workforce’s main scorer through the common season – struggling.
But, as former Raptors coach Dwane Casey used to say, he’s additionally telling himself with the way in which he is defending on this collection.
“There’s a narrative that he couldn’t keep, but I think it’s just because he didn’t want to for a while,” he stated Jamal Sheadjokingly, with Barrett listening in on his Tuesday afternoon post-practice press convention.
Since returning residence for Games 3 and 4, the Raptors’ defensive resurgence has allowed them to claw their manner again into and even up the collection at two wins a chunk. Making life harder on the Cavs backcourt duo of Mitchell and Harden – who acquired no matter they wished in Cleveland – has been a vital a part of that turnaround.
Mitchell mixed for 35 factors and shot 33 per cent within the two Toronto wins, whereas Harden totaled 37 factors on 41 per cent capturing after dropping 50 on 53 per cent in Cleveland. Together, they dedicated 22 of their workforce’s 40 turnovers.
Barnes has served as the first defender on Harden and is rightly getting the majority of the credit score for Toronto’s impressed defensive efficiency on Sunday, a 93-89 win during which the Raptors shot simply 32 per cent from the sphere. Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter have additionally completed their half to restrict Cleveland’s guards. But do not overlook Barrett’s efforts.
According to NBA.com matchup knowledge, Barrett has saved Harden on 57.2 partial defensive possessions. In that point, the long run Hall of Famer posted simply eight factors on 2-of-15 capturing, whereas lacking all 10 of his three-point makes an attempt and committing 4 turnovers, with solely three assists. To Barrett’s level, Mitchell has had extra success towards him, scoring 27 factors on 40.7 partial possessions, however the Mississauga, Ont., native has made him work – he wanted 24 pictures to rating these 27 factors.
With Barnes seeing extra time on Harden because the collection has gone on, Barrett has been requested to wrestle with Cleveland’s bigs, Evan Mobley (who has 5 inches on him) and Jarrett Allen (who has 30 kilos on him), within the put up. He’s greater than held his personal.
“Results show,” Barnes stated of Barrett. “I think he’s been doing a great job of being able to guard the ball, being able to be in the paint, guarding the bigs, switching roles throughout the game. He’s been big-time for us.”
One of the good issues in regards to the playoffs is that it tends to expose gamers, for higher or for worse. We discover out what guys are actually fabricated from – who’s tough sufficient, who’s bodily sufficient, who can block out the noise, deal with the strain, and rise the event, and who can’t.
Consider Barrett’s background. The son of a former skilled basketball participant and Canadian Olympian, Rowan Barrett, he was born and raised to play the game on the highest degree. He spent his lone collegiate season taking part in at Duke and the primary 5 years of his NBA profession beneath the New York City highlight. He’s not simply fazed.
“Just being a dog,” Barrett stated of his postseason mentality. “You gotta win the game. You’ve gotta do whatever it takes to win.”
“He’s calm, he’s never scared,” Shead stated. “There’s not a shot that he takes in those fourth quarters that we’re like, oh, that’s not RJ’s shot. We’re cool with it. He’s been big-time for us all year and he’s showing it in the playoffs.”
It could not be coming at a greater time for the younger vet, who’s extension eligible once more through the low season, and if he does not get a brand new contract this summer season, he’ll be going into the ultimate yr of a deal that pays him practically $30 million in 2026-27. He’ll be searching for a elevate, and given how a lot cash Toronto has already invested in Barnes, Ingram, Immanuel Quickleyand Jakob Poeltlit might be difficult to pay Barrett whereas additionally tiptoeing across the league’s luxurious tax line.
It’s the largest cause why his identify has constantly come up in commerce hypothesis and will resurface once more this summer season. But, at 25, Barrett is displaying that he can attain one other degree and convey one thing new, one thing the Raptors would possibly decide they can not do with out.
What have we realized about RJ Barrett? He is licensed playoff tough.
“Any time that there is a playoff series, any time there are hard times, I think you see what a player is made of,” head coach Darko Rajakovic stated. “We’re constantly finding out there is more… Whatever was your best the day before, once you reach that, you’re searching for new highs. That’s what this playoff series is showing us. There is more RJ can do.
“He’s gonna attempt to do no matter it takes to assist the workforce win. In this playoff collection, apart from his scoring, it is his potential to guard his matchup. He’s stepping up to that and doing a very good job.”
