The Toronto Raptors have hit a bit of a skid.
After getting out to a strong 6-3 start, the Raptors have now dropped 10 of their last 13, falling to 9-13 overall. They've lost three consecutive games, two of which came at Scotiabank Arena, where they hold a 2-8 record.
The defence hasn't been great, injuries have taken their toll and the bench has been the least productive second unit in the NBA in terms of scoring. So while there are plenty of negatives, let's take a look where the grass is greener and find some positives during this stretch.
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One of the biggest positives? Scottie Barnes' improvement as a shooter. He's already growing in an area of his game that was perceived as a weakness.
The No. 4 overall pick's jump shot was undoubtedly the biggest concern on his scouting report ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft. He only attempted 41 3-pointers during his lone season at Florida State, converting just 11 of them (27.5 percent).
During the preseason, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told the media that Barnes' jump shot had "really improved" and that "the mechanics look really good," but that offseason work didn't exactly yield immediate results.
Through the first 15 games of his NBA career, Barnes went 2-for-13 from beyond the arc (15.4 percent). After going 2-for-9 over his first seven games, he even started to shy away from shooting triples altogether. Over his next eight games, Barnes only attempted four 3s total (all misses), including five games without a single attempt from 3-point range.
However, it didn't affect his scoring all that much, as Barnes still led all rookies during that span, averaging 14.9 points per game.
It wasn't until recently that Barnes really started firing away from range again, and the rookie seems to have found a rhythm with his shooting stroke.
MORE: Can the Raptors get back on track during December?
In his last five games, Barnes has knocked down 10 of his 21 3-point attempts (47.6 percent), burying at least three 3s in each of his last two outings.
The biggest difference? He's hitting his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts at a much higher rate.
| Shot type | FGM-FGA | FG% | |
| First 15 games | Catch-and-shoot | 1-11 | 9.1 |
| Pull-ups | 1-2 | 50.0 | |
| Last five games | Catch-and-shoot | 7-14 | 50.0 |
| Pull-ups | 2-6 | 33.3 |
(Data courtesy of NBA stats)
Confidence is key in Barnes getting into a groove, going from a player who was passing up open looks on the 3-point line like this a few weeks ago...
to this...
and this in Tuesday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Will Barnes continue to shoot nearly 50 percent from beyond the arc for the remainder of the season? Probably not, but this stretch speaks volumes for his character and determination. He kept pushing and got better by shaking off a brutal start and continuing to fire away.
Barnes has already shown he can score without knocking down the 3-ball, but that element will help open up every other facet of his game. If he can force opposing defenders to respect him on the perimeter, he will become an even more dangerous offensive weapon.
Through the first quarter of the season, there's no reason to be anything but pleased with Barnes' development.
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