The Raptors are enjoying their strongest season in years. After missing the playoffs since 2022, Toronto is back in contention, already surpassing the total wins from each of the past two seasons.
A major factor in this resurgence is Scottie Barnes. He’s the team’s second-leading scorer and leads in rebounds, steals, and blocks per game, anchoring what is arguably the best defense the Raptors have had in recent memory.
Barnes is firmly in line for an All-Defensive First Team nod this season, and his case is extremely strong.
Scottie Barnes: Elite Defender
Barnes’s defensive prowess is undeniable. He can guard multiple positions, handles star players effectively, and averages 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
He’s one of the few players in the league to average at least one block and one steal per game. Among that group, only Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis (though Davis has played just 20 games) average more blocks than Barnes, but no player combines blocks and steals at a higher rate than the Raptors star.
Both the stats and the eye test confirm it: Barnes can match up with anyone—bigs, guards, or wings.
His defensive impact has also translated into team success, which often influences end-of-season awards. Currently, Toronto sits fifth in the Eastern Conference and looks poised to return to the playoffs after a multi-year absence.
While the Raptors are middle-of-the-pack offensively, ranking 16th in offensive rating, their defense ranks seventh, a notable improvement over recent seasons. Last year they were fifteenth; the three seasons before that, they ranked twenty-sixth, eleventh, and ninth, respectively.
All-Defensive Recognition Is Just the Start
At just 24, Barnes still has a long career ahead. Already, he has a Rookie of the Year award and two All-Star selections (2024 and 2026) on his résumé.
If he continues on this trajectory, Barnes’s name won’t just be in the All-Star or All-Defensive conversation—it could soon enter discussions for All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year, especially as the Raptors’ team success grows alongside him.