Scottie Barnes isn’t OG Anunoby on defence, but the Raptors want him to try
Since the Knicks trade, many of the defensive assignments that used to go to OG Anunoby have fallen on Scottie Barnes. Is he up for it?
The Raptors can score, putting up at least 113 points in all six games of a just-completed road trip. But they also went 2-4, the result of regression on defence.
A drop on the defensive end was to be expected after they traded their best defender, OG Anunoby, to the New York Knicks on Dec. 30. While the deal has had a positive impact on the offence with the arrival of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, their inability to make timely stops and prevent opponents from scoring at will has been glaring.
Now they’ll be tested at home in a three-game stretch that starts Monday night against the Boston Celtics, first in the Eastern Conference standings and among the NBA’s elite at both ends of the court. Many of the defensive assignments that used to go to Anunoby are now falling on Scottie Barnes, who says he welcomes the challenge.
