Vince Carter understands the challenges that come with being the face of Canadian basketball. The Toronto Raptors will never leave hockey behind and are often out of the spotlight within the NBA landscape, so it takes a certain type of player to lead the franchise. The 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee believes Scotty Barnes is occupying that role brilliantly this season.
Although Brandon Ingram is the team’s top scorer, the No. 4 is still widely considered the cornerstone of the Raptors. Carter praised his ability to remain impressive while also adjusting to fellow game-changers.
“I want to give Scottie his flowers,” he told reporters in Toronto before Tuesday night’s showdown with the New York Knicks, according to TSN’s Josh Levenberg. “This was his team for a long time. He was willing to make sacrifices for the good of BI coming in and his own survival. And look what he did. He still became an All-Star. He also brought another All-Star with him… So, it’s just a sacrifice for the good of the team. Yes, the numbers went down, but the accolades are coming your way now.”
T-Mac thinks the Raptors can win a playoff series and shows some love for VC Barnes. “I want to give Scotty his flowers.” pic.twitter.com/n8Yw0kiue
-Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) 4 March 2026
Barnes has yet to ascend to true superstardom, with his 29.1 shooting percentage from 3-point range serving as a hindrance in such a situation, but he’s still an undeniable difference-maker on one of the breakout teams this season. The 24-year-old forward is averaging 19.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals while shooting a career-high 50.1 percent from the field. He’s also a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, having proven himself to be a two-way force in the Great White North.
Scottie Barnes now has to figure out how he can lead the Raptors (35-25) into the next stage of their development. The team is currently two games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Toronto will have a steep hill to climb if it draws the Cavs, Knicks or Boston Celtics in the early rounds of the playoffs (the latter is unlikely to face the first-place Detroit Pistons), but this group could still be dangerous.
The former No. 4 overall draft pick is filling the Raptors with needed intensity. If he can continue to step up and lead, Toronto will have a tough competition in the 2026 postseason. Vince Carter will be watching closely.
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