As OG Anunoby for his debut with the Knicks, RJ Barrett couldn't have dreamed of a better return home, after the trade that sent him to the Raptors along withImmanuel Quickley. In a packed Scotiabank Arena, Toronto's new guard held his place, behind Pascal Siakam's 36 points, with 19 points and 9 rebounds in 29 minutes.
Better, even if he had a little waste in the last act, in shooting and passing, he still scored two crucial throws at the very end of the match to contribute to the final victory. Not bad for a first!
“The last two, three days have been crazy. But today was a lot of fun. We won the match, we started well and our energy carried us throughout the match. They came back, but we knew how to stay strong and win this match. It was very important”, he said after the match. “ It was a special moment, much better than the other times I played here. It was a moment I will always appreciate.”
Surprised but happy
Everything happened very quickly, between the announcement of the trade on December 30, 2023 and this first match with Toronto for the first day of 2024.
Toronto native RJ Barrett couldn't imagine a better destination to continue his progression after a passionate experience with the Knicks. The surprise was therefore there, but so was the joy.
“My initial reaction was, 'What's going on?' I had barely woken up. Then I was immediately happy”he confided. “I grew up a Raptors fan and have been my entire life. Coming here and putting on this jersey can only be good. I’m really happy and excited to be here.”
Barely having time to assimilate the basic playing principles of his new team, RJ Barrett had to adapt, and therefore did rather well.
At 23 years old, and with more than four seasons under his belt in New York, one of the hottest markets in the league, the Canadian fullback thinks he is well prepared for this new challenge.
“I think the time I spent in New York allowed me to acquire a certain routine. I know who I am, and what I am capable of. Maybe if I had arrived here at 19 it would have been a little more difficult. But as I have grown up a little, I understand better how I should work and what I should do”, he continued.
The Raptors will now begin a big six-game road trip that will last two weeks, and will begin tomorrow in Memphis. For Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, it will be an opportunity to bond with their new teammates.
| RJ Barrett | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | NYK | 56 | 30 | 40.2 | 32.0 | 61.4 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 14.3 |
| 2020-21 | NYK | 72 | 35 | 44.1 | 40.1 | 74.6 | 0.9 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 17.6 |
| 2021-22 | NYK | 70 | 35 | 40.8 | 34.2 | 71.4 | 0.9 | 4.9 | 5.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 20.0 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 73 | 34 | 43.4 | 31.0 | 74.0 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 19.6 |
| 2023-24 | NYK | 26 | 30 | 42.3 | 33.1 | 83.1 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 18.2 |
| Total | 297 | 33 | 42.2 | 34.2 | 72.0 | 0.9 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 18.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
