The Raptors identified the player they liked most, he was available when they were selecting and they took him. “I think he’s kind of a multi-faceted, multi-positional, two-way player,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. There’s no reason to think Barnes won’t get on the same kind of development arc as Anunoby and Siakam did. He’s also a willing one, knowing the ability to guard multiple positions in the NBA is vital for an upper-tier player. Barnes was also Toronto’s first lottery pick since the Raptors took Jakob Poeltl ninth in 2016.

Source: thestar July 30, 2021 00:38 UTC