<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-was-absolutely-lit-blue-jays-won-alcs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors’ Scottie Barnes was absolutely lit after Blue Jays won ALCS');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Barnes-shoots.jpg"><figcaption> Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors’ Scottie Barnes was absolutely lit after Blue Jays won ALCS</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-21T10:01:35-07:00">October 21st, 10:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-21T10:01:35-07:00">October 21st, 10:01am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-player-shock-world-breakout-2025-26-season">Toronto Raptors are just</a> a day away from kicking off their 2025-26 NBA season with a road game <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-trolls-trade-rumors-lebron-james-esque-fakeout">against the Atlanta Hawks</a> on Wednesday evening. The Raptors are hoping for a bounce back year out of Scottie Barnes, who regressed a bit in 2024-25 and saw his team miss out on the postseason altogether.</p><p>Recently, the Raptors watched their crosstown neighbors, the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, knock off the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of the ALCS in order to make it to the World Series, where they will face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning on Friday evening.</p><p>Barnes and some of his Raptors teammates were in attendance for the series’ deciding game on Monday evening, and after the win became final, Barnes recorded a <a href="https://x.com/Raptors/status/1980473957670367324" rel="noopener">video of himself</a> screaming at the top of his lungs from his seat.</p><p>“Let’s go Blue Jays, World Series baby! Let’s get it,” said Barnes, via the Raptors’ official team account on X, formerly Twitter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">WE WANT IT ALL BABY LETS GOOO <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueJays</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ol2Ixzi7xt">pic.twitter.com/Ol2Ixzi7xt</a></p><p>— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1980473957670367324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Joining Barnes in the box seats was Raptors guard Gradey Dick, who is entering his third year in the NBA and hoping to build off some of the progress he made a season ago.</p><h2><b>Can the Raptors compete?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raptors-forward-Scottie-Barnes-i.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Raptors aren’t viewed by many as a legitimate contender heading into this season, but many pundits to predict them to at least take a slight step up this year.</p><p>At last year’s trade deadline, the Raptors acquired forward Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans, although he was unable to appear in a game as he recovered from injury. However, he has signed an extension with the team and, assuming health, should be a key halfcourt offensive weapon for a Toronto team that was sorely lacking in that department a year ago.</p><p>If Ingram can stay on the court and Barnes can continue his ascension, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that the Raptors at least compete for a play-in spot this year considering the current weak state of the Eastern Conference.</p><p>Toronto and Atlanta are set to tip off on Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Scottie Barnes was absolutely lit after Blue Jays won ALCS

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-definite-playoff-declaration');   ga('set', 'title', 'Scottie Barnes ready to eat with ‘definite’ Raptors playoff declaration');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Raptors-Scottie-Barnes-shouting.jpg"><figcaption>Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Scottie Barnes ready to eat with ‘definite’ Raptors playoff declaration</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-29T08:20:03-07:00">September 29th, 8:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-29T08:20:40-07:00">September 29th, 8:20am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Years of struggles and failing to meet expectations have surrounded the Toronto Raptors since their first NBA championship in 2019. Many All-Star-level players have left the organization, and the Raptors have experienced back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in a decade.</p><p>As the 2025-26 NBA season approaches, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-takes-jab-social-media-haters">Scottie Barnes is ready to flip the narrative</a>, especially after witnessing the growth of his young squad.</p><p>The Raptors finished the 2024-25 season winning 12 of their final 23 games and registering the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?DateFrom=02/13/2025&amp;DateTo=04/14/2025&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING" rel="noopener">second-best defensive rating</a> in the league after the All-Star break. Their growth has set the standard for what is to come.</p><p>With Darko Rajakovic entering his third season with the team and many of Toronto’s young talents taking a step in the right direction, Barnes knows that getting to the playoffs is a realistic goal for his group this upcoming year.</p><p>“We have a very talented roster. Other rosters are top-heavy, but we have a complete roster right now,” Barnes told reporters at Media Day on Monday, via Sportsnet. “I think our expectation for our team is to definitely make the playoffs and win some games in the playoffs. That’s the standard. That’s the bottom line.</p><p>“We’re hungry and we’ve got a lot to prove. We’re gonna go out and show it.”</p><p>Aside from the growth of young talents alongside Barnes, like Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and Ja’Kobe Walter, the Raptors made an eye-opening move before the trade deadline last season when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-trade-grade-for-blockbuster-brandon-ingram-deal-with-pelicans">acquired former All-Star wing Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans. </a></p><p>Toronto has struggled to find consistent scoring production from the wing since trading OG Anunoby in 2023, which is why adding Ingram, who has averaged at least 20 points per game each of the last six seasons, instantly changes the Raptors’ playoff outlook.</p><p>Ingram joins Barnes in the starting lineup alongside Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl — one of the better offensive starting groups on paper in the NBA. If they can stay healthy, this Raptors starting five could create a lot of problems for their opponents, which is why Barnes and the team have set playoff expectations for themselves.</p><p>As for what Rajakovic expects from his group, the third-year head coach is in sync with his 24-year-old leader regarding the team’s playoff aspirations.</p><p>“My expectation is for our team to improve one percent every single day, every single week,” the Raptors coach stated on Monday. “I expect us to be competitive in 82 games. I have high ambitions. I’m not shying away from the test.”</p><p>The Raptors will begin the 2025-26 season on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on October 22.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Scottie Barnes ready to eat with ‘definite’ Raptors playoff declaration

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-takes-jab-social-media-haters');   ga('set', 'title', 'Scottie Barnes takes jab at Raptors’ social media haters');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raptors-forward-Scottie-Barnes-II.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Scottie Barnes takes jab at Raptors’ social media haters</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-04T12:09:27-07:00">August 4th, 12:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-04T12:09:27-07:00">August 4th, 12:09pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes clapped back at his haters on social media, vowing to make a significant leap in leading his team to the postseason in 2025-26. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-weighs-in-on-toronto-tanking-strategy">Barnes has his eyes set on playoff basketball</a>. The Raptors haven’t reached the playoffs since 2022 when the Philadelphia 76ers eliminated them from the opening round. After speaking out about the notion of the Raptors tanking next season, he posted on social media.</p><p>Barnes took a shot at the critical fans on social media, who often criticize, wondering if the spectators actually know the sport or if they’re just trolling particular NBA players for attention. Barnes <a href="https://x.com/ScottBarnes561/status/1952425434185879603" rel="noopener">called a particular audience out</a> on his X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“it’s a lot of people on this app that don’t watch ball man,” Barnes said with a shaking head emoji, “just be chattin. it’s coo we got a lot to prove this yr. let’s get back to the playoffs.”</p><p>Could 2025-26 be the season we see Barnes lead the Raptors to their first playoff appearance in three years?</p><h2><b>Scottie Barnes weighs in on Raptors’ taking approach</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raptors-forward-Scottie-Barnes-i.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/raptors-scottie-barnes-caught-on-camera-rollerblading-down-florida-street">Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is enjoying his summer</a>, he’s got bigger plans in mind for those thinking that his team should tank for the future. Even in April toward the end of a 112-103 loss to the Trail Blazers, <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/raptors-barnes-playing-through-discomfort-important-for-big-picture/" rel="noopener">he explained</a> after playing through a MCP joint contusion, per Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.</p><p>“Why would I not go out there?” Barnes said. “Nothing’s stopping me. You know, I want to play every single game. I love playing basketball. I missed some games last year, I missed some games this year. You know, it’s just a blessing to be on that court. You know, every time I step on the floor, just trying to help the team win.”</p><p>Even with the Raptors out of playoff contention, Barnes’ focused remained on winning.</p><p>“Every game is useful. Keep learning and keep getting better. Keep playing with different teammates, different rotations,” Barnes said. “Right now, this is going to help for the future. You just got to keep learning how to play with each other, how to grow, talk, communicate. When there’s struggles, it’s great for that, when there’s some struggles going on, when there’s bad things happening, how are we going to communicate? How are we going to stay together as a team? How are we going to try to figure this, this thing out?”</p><p>Barnes and the Raptors hope to figure plenty out next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Scottie Barnes takes jab at Raptors’ social media haters

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-noa-essengue-scottie-barnes-pascal-siakam-comparisons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Noa Essengue turns heads with Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam comparisons amid Raptors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Raptors-news-Noa-Essengue-turns-heads-with-Scottie-Barnes-Pascal-Siakam-comparisons.jpg"></figure><h1>Noa Essengue turns heads with Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam comparisons amid Raptors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T21:38:09-07:00">June 24th, 9:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T21:42:13-07:00">June 24th, 9:42pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>French phenom <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/toronto-raptors-3-best-options-no-9-pick-2025-nba-draft">Noa Essengue will be among the Toronto Raptors’ top realistic options</a> with the No. 9 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. On Tuesday, ClutchPoints <a href="https://twitter.com/erikslater_/status/1937601211223646225" rel="noopener">asked the projected lottery pick</a> which NBA players he models his game after.</p><p>“I’d say guys like Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Kawhi [Leonard]. They can really do everything on the court. Play defense, dribble, shooting,” he replied.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Asked Noa Essengue if there are any NBA players he studies or models his game after:</p><p>“I’d say guys like Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Kawhi. They can really do everything on the court. Play defense, dribble, shooting.” <a href="https://t.co/5cWSMsvftS">pic.twitter.com/5cWSMsvftS</a></p><p>— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikslater_/status/1937601211223646225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The response quickly caught the eyes of Raptors fans. Toronto is projected to select Essengue with the No. 9 pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft.</p><p>Could his allusion to the team’s current and former stars be an indication of what’s to come?</p><h2>Noa Essengue says he models game after Raptors stars after ahead of 2025 NBA draft</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nets-news-Noa-Essengue-skipping-German-playoffs-to-attend-draft-amid-links-to-Nets-2.jpg"></figure><p>Essengue would check several boxes Masai Ujiri has prioritized in past prospects. At 6-foot-10 barefoot with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and fluid athleticism, the 18-year-old forward boasts impressive two-way upside.</p><p>Essengue has been impressive this season while playing in the BBL, Germany’s top professional league. He has averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 52/28/71 shooting splits in 22.8 minutes per game for Ratiopharm Ulm.</p><p>Offensively, Essengue has been effective as a transition ball-handler, roll man and secondary self-creator, posting a 62.5 true shooting percentage. He’s been a free-throw drawing machine, attempting 7.6 per 36 minutes and converting 70.7 percent. Adding weight to his 204-pound frame while improving his raw handle and outside shot could elevate his game to another level down the line.</p><p>Essengue’s length and nimble feet offer immense versatility defensively, something the Raptors have placed a premium on under Ujiri.</p><p>The French prospect <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-noa-essengue-skipping-german-finals-attend-draft-links-nets">will continue to be linked to Toronto</a> leading up to the team’s pick on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report projects the Brooklyn Nets to select him at No. 8, while several <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/portland-trail-blazers-perfect-outcome-pick-2025-nba-draft">other mock drafts have him coming off the board</a> in the late lottery or mid-teens.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Noa Essengue turns heads with Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam comparisons amid Raptors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-responds-pk-subban-claim');   ga('set', 'title', 'Scottie Barnes responds to P.K. Subban’s bold NBA, NHL claim');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Scottie-Barnes-on-March-28-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Scottie Barnes responds to P.K. Subban’s bold NBA, NHL claim</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-12T12:33:41-07:00">June 12th, 12:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-12T12:33:41-07:00">June 12th, 12:33pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>We are in the middle of the summer sports season, with baseball in the middle of its season and then the NHL and NBA near the end of their postseasons. The excitement level has been incredible, especially with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-league-silence-haters-playoff-numbers-ratings-since-2014">record viewership in the NBA postseason</a>. Since both have taken center stage, ESPN asked which sport has the best athletes. It sparked a massive debate online, but emerging NBA star, Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, weighed in and gave his two cents on the topic, <a href="https://x.com/ScottBarnes561/status/1933002756203176418" rel="noopener">wanting to prove</a> he can skate and represent NBA players in the debate.</p><p>ESPN’s <i>First Take </i>is the world’s preeminent debate show. While the sports world is still hectic, it’s slowing down with hockey and basketball in their last season series. So, they waged a debate on which sports produce the best athletes.</p><p>Former basketball and hockey players Markieff Morris and P.K. Subban defended their respective sports, while Stephen A. Smith advocated for basketball players. The conversation summary went like this: Markieff Morris: “Obviously basketball.” Stephen A. Smith: “When you talk about pure athleticism… I’m gonna go with Markieff on this.” P. K. Subban: “Put LeBron [James] on skates.”</p><p>The Toronto Raptors star quoted the video post: “Put me on skates. I’ll do it.” He also posted a GIF of Superman with a joking response.</p><p>The argument on First Take essentially came down to skill versus athleticism. The NBA’s athleticism is second to none, with players running up and down the court, catching passes easily, and being able to play at their size.</p><p>The difference is that hockey involves skating, and not everyone can skate as well as NHL players, let alone skate overall. Hockey is also more physically demanding, with hockey being a contact sport filled with broken bones and players losing teeth due to the high speeds at which players run into each other. Subban’s argument in favor of hockey players also rested on the fact that hockey players play through numerous injuries, while basketball players use load management and regularly take days off. For example, NHL superstar <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/oilers-news-connor-mcdavid-suffers-injury-scare-game-3-vs-panthers">Connor McDavid recently suffered an injury scare, but shook it off and kept playing</a>.</p><p>This argument is fascinating, and when random NBA players like Barnes get involved, you know it has gone even more viral than initially intended. Regardless of who wins this argument, the Raptors star will show off his skills on the ice and go all out for the NBA players to try and win this argument, even if it was said light-heartedly.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
19.5	5.5	6.0	1.0	2.0

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
19.5	5.5	6.0	1.0	2.0

Scottie Barnes

Latest Scottie Barnes News

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Scottie Barnes responds to P.K. Subban’s bold NBA, NHL claim

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