RJ Barrett gives the Raptors another reason to be happy about their rout of the Warriors

In a rout of the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, the Toronto Raptors saw RJ Barrett’s exciting potential.

In the move for Immanuel Quickley, the Toronto Raptors may not have just used RJ Barrett as a salary cap filler.

Okay, it was never really that easy.

That Toronto was after Quickley was clear when they sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks last weekend. It was very important for the Raptors to get another guard and someone who could spread the floor. As a young player still learning, Quickley was thought to be able to do that along with Scottie Barnes.

But the trade’s youngest player may also have some hidden potential.

Barrett played great as the Celtics bєat the Golden State Warriors 133–118 on Sunday night. He scored 37 points, made 13 of 20 shots, and had six assists. He looked like he could be a long-term member of Toronto’s core, along with Barnes and Quickley.

Even though Barrett is in his fifth NBA season, he is only 23 years old, which is one year younger than Barnes. The 6-foot-6 forward has shown glimpses of what scouts thought he could be, even though the thrill of being the third pick has worn off.

Barrett’s game doesn’t really have a big flaw. He can pass, shoot, and make plays for other people. If you need him to spot up, he can do that too. He’s good at running the pick-and-roll and leading the break. If there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s scoring in transition. Other than that, he’s acceptable.

Barrett’s main problem has always been getting things done quickly. He has never been a good three-point shooter, except for his junior year. He has also never even come close to league-average from the field.

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The Leafs hope to fix that by putting Barrett lower on the offєnsive line.

Take a look at Barrett’s shot diet against the Warriors. He made five three-pointers in the first half, all of which were assisted. Almost all of his 10 field goals in the first half were assisted or made in motion.

That doesn’t meаn Barrett will only play a supporting part for Toronto. In the second half, he showed some of that exciting potential by dribbling in and scoring a layup off a screen from Jakob Poeltl. He led the way in motion and set up Gary Trent Jr. for a key three-pointer after the Warriors had cut Toronto’s 27–9 lead in the first half.

Even though Quickley is known for how well he scores, the 24-year-old showed on Sunday that he can also make plays. He had 10 assists, and six of them came in the first quarter alone. He handled the pick-and-roll like a real point guard and made smart passes to keep Toronto’s a𝖙𝖙ack going.

The Raptors lost by 76 points in the first half. They dominated the Warriors in the paint and set up 12 of their 16 field goals.In the third quarter, Klay Thompson scored three three-pointers, which made the Warriors’ defense weaken and allow them to come back.

Golden State gave Toronto a scarє, but a 5-0 run at the end of the fourth quarter gave them some breathing room. Then, Chris Boucher made two three-pointers in the fourth quarter to put the Raptors back up 20 and end any Warriors hopes of coming back.

Boucher finished the night with 17 points, making 7 of 7 shots. Toronto’s bench scored 51 points.