Barrett embracing limelight, defence with Raptors

MONTREAL – RJ Barrett isn’t acrophobic the hometown limelight volition deterioration him down.

The Toronto Raptors guard/forward is alternatively choosing to clasp the attention.

With the Raptors successful Montreal for his archetypal grooming campy with the team, the 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is looking guardant to donning the red, achromatic and purple jerseys helium grew up watching for an full NBA season.

“It’s brainsick to maine to adjacent beryllium successful this interview. I utilized to ticker this connected TV,” Barrett said astatine the Université du Québec à Montréal connected Wednesday. “I person a small spot much pridefulness for it, truthful I’m going retired there, conscionable springiness my full bosom to this, springiness everything.

“This is my home. I person an other desire, other passionateness for it each azygous day. Just maine being maine I’m going to aftermath up and vie each day. So this is cleanable for me.”

Toronto’s campy runs done Sunday’s preseason crippled against the Washington Wizards astatine Montreal’s Bell Centre.

Barrett, whose begetter Rowan Barrett played professionally successful France erstwhile helium was younger, took the accidental to practise his 2nd connection successful a little scrum with the French media connected hand.

On the court, the Raptors emphasized moving connected their defence, which ranked 26th successful the league past season. Head manager Darko Rajaković expects Barrett to beryllium a large portion of the solution.

“RJ’s antiaircraft effort and value connected defence this twelvemonth has to emergence conscionable due to the fact that of the needs of our team,” Rajaković said. “We speech a lot. I’m calling him retired successful a batch of situations that helium needs to beryllium better. He’s responded truly well.

“It’s large to spot him erstwhile helium gets a halt oregon does bully worldly defensively that he’s celebrating and helium feels energy. That’s winning. That’s astir winning. So we request him to autumn successful emotion with defence, beryllium arsenic bully a subordinate arsenic helium is offensively.”

Barrett, the 3rd wide draught prime successful 2019, is amended known for his play astatine the different extremity of the floor.

The Raptors acquired Barrett and defender Immanuel Quickley from the New York Knicks successful the blockbuster OG Anunoby commercialized past December.

In a 32-game illustration with Toronto, the six-foot-six, 214-pound helping averaged vocation highs of 21.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

His ratio besides spiked. Barrett changeable 55.3 per cent from the level — much than 10 per cent higher than his vocation mean — and 39.2 per cent from three-point range.

But with Anunoby and Pascal Siakam gone, Barrett volition person to instrumentality connected pugnacious assignments successful a presumption that boasts immoderate of the league’s apical players — and helium says he’s up for the challenge.

“If you privation to win, it starts with defence,” Barrett said. “I’ve been practising it, moving connected it, particularly during the summertime, that was immense for maine to conscionable get reps defensively.

“If I’m playing defence, I tin get connected different guys to play defence too.”

At this summer’s Paris Olympics, Barrett averaged 19.8 points, Canada’s second-highest scorer down NBA MVP campaigner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (21.0). Barrett was besides 3rd connected the squad successful rebounds (3.8) and assists (3.5) arsenic France stunned Canada 82-73 successful the quarterfinals.

Despite the crushing loss, Barrett rapidly travelled to Spain with chap Canadian Kelly Olynyk to articulation a Raptors mini-camp.

His beardown summertime is paying disconnected aboriginal successful grooming camp. On Wednesday, Rajaković highlighted Barrett arsenic 1 of the players who’s lasting out, noting his ambition of succeeding astatine home.

“I conscionable deliberation that knowing his relation connected a team, the value of him to measurement up this year. I deliberation that helium had a large summertime with Canada Basketball, staying healthy, getting successful bully shape, besides has helped with each of that.” Rajaković said. “He’s precise excited to beryllium location and play successful Toronto and playing for the Canadian fans.

“All of that brings other information for him.”

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Oct. 2, 2024.