"Feels good": Raptors' Scottie Barnes discusses ankle injury that hampered his offseason
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes isn’t all that concerned about an ankle injury suffered this offseason.
“I was just driving to the basket and it tweaked a little bit. I was out for a while… [but] it feels pretty good, feels nice,” Barnes told media on Thursday. “I don’t really feel any pain showing up.”
Barnes’ injury reportedly kept him out of training for about three weeks this offseason, right before what Raptors coach Nick Nurse calls the “ramp-up” period.
“I think he’s just behind a little bit, conditioning-wise, feel-wise, all that kind of stuff. So yeah, that’s it,” Nurse told reporters Tuesday. “We just need to keep plugging away and get him feeling so he can feel like he can be out there playing really hard.”
Barnes suffered a left ankle injury during last year’s postseason, though he said this injury was to “the other one” and unrelated.
Barnes has averaged just 6.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in four preseason contests thus far, while playing 22 minutes a night.
Nurse added today that he’s more concerned about what Barnes looks like in the team’s regular season opener next Wednesday against Cleveland than the preseason.
“I was out for a while but I was just continually progressing, strengthening things that we’ve done in the weight room. I tweaked it a little bit, but it’s fine,” Barnes added. “It feels good.”
Feeling good isn’t just exclusive to his ankles, though.
For anyone that’s seen Barnes play, they know that his easygoing nature is part of what makes the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year tick.
“I’m just trying to stay calm, keep myself calm, really throughout the day, so when I’m ready for the game just out there will be locked down and really trying to stay having fun,” Barnes said. “I feel like that’s one of my best, when I’m out there having fun and laughing and smiling. That helps me be able to be locked in offensively when I’m playing a game with joy.”
The Raptors head to Montreal tomorrow night for their preseason finale, though Montrealer Chris Boucher won’t be making the trip due to a non-COVID illness.
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