"I hate to see the collective team dynamic doing so poorly when there have been several individual Raptors player storylines to get excited about. Toronto's overall foundation feels a bit shaky so far ( especially on the defensive end), even just in a short five-game sample size. Many people have pointed out that the Raptors' ability to set the tone early in the season could really make or break how things turn out for them. But despite that, there are still reasons to stay hopeful."
"Are we seeing the birth of a new 3PT threat in Scottie Barnes? We all know how solid Scottie Barnes can be as a dynamic point forward with the potential to be an elite defender. But for years now, Raptors fans have been eagerly waiting to see Barnes fully develop his three-point shooting and become a consistent threat from beyond the arc. We've already seen a bit of a boost in Barnes's three-point shooting during the 2023-24 season, when he"
"As we've seen in the Darko Rajakovic era, the Raptors' head coach is big on encouraging his players to shoot and get those reps up, even if every shot doesn't fall - just look at what he recently said about struggling guard Immanuel Quickley. But other than that one year when he shot over 30%, Barnes took a step back in the 2024-25 season, dropping to just 27.1% from three (1.2 makes on 4.3 attempts)."
Toronto's team dynamic is underperforming early, with the overall foundation appearing shaky, especially on defense, in a short five-game sample. Early-season tone could strongly influence the team's trajectory. Individual positives include RJ Barrett's consistent play and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles showing upside. Scottie Barnes is emerging as a potential three-point threat after a 2023-24 season at 34.1% (1.7 on 4.9 attempts) but regressed to 27.1% (1.2 on 4.3 attempts) in 2024-25. Coach Darko Rajakovic emphasizes shooting and repetition, while prior advice urged Barnes to return to finishing at the rim and mid-range fundamentals.
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