Scottie Barnes says Toronto Raptors have 'a lot to prove' and makes playoff prediction
In Scottie Barnes’ first season with the Toronto Raptors, things were going about as well as one could expect for a team that finished with a 27-45 record a year before.
After taking Barnes at fourth overall in the 2021 draft, the Raptors stormed back with a 48-win campaign that saw them return to the playoffs, pushing the Philadelphia 76ers to six games.
With Barnes being awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year, things appeared to be on the up-and-up for the retooling franchise.
Until they weren’t.
Four years into Barnes’ career, the Raptors have yet to make it back to the postseason, finishing no higher than ninth in the Eastern Conference in the three seasons since.
Barnes took to social media this week to share how some of the team’s critics “just be chattin” and “don’t watch ball”.
“We got a lot to prove this [year],” Barnes tweeted earlier this week. “Let’s get back to the playoffs.”
it’s a lot of people on this app that don’t watch ball man🤦🏽♂️just be chattin. it’s coo we got a lot to prove this yr. let’s get back to the playoffs
— Scott Barnes (@ScottBarnes561) August 4, 2025
The tweet echoes comments Barnes made at his end-of-season media availability earlier this year.
“I love our team. We got a lot of great pieces. We got what it takes. We got a great young core,” Barnes told the media in April. “I expect us to be really good for sure, get into the playoffs and make a great run with the team that we have.”
The biggest wildcard this year for Toronto is Brandon Ingram, who came to the team at the trade deadline from the New Orleans Pelicans. Dealing with a severe ankle injury, the former All-Star has yet to suit up with his new team.
The Raptors will reconvene in Toronto in late September as a full unit again, meeting the media before going on a bit of a cross-country tour. They’ll hold their training camp in Calgary before heading off to Vancouver for a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets.