Out of sheer necessity, perhaps even desperation, the Raptors have cast RJ Barrett in the uncomfortable role as their de facto point guard.
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In time, watching the 6-foot-6 forward handle the ball so often should bear fruit once Scottie Barnes (ankle) and Immanuel Quickley (wrist) are fully healthy. But without the team’s best two players, Barrett immediately emerges as the go-to guy.
With it comes added responsibilities and attention but, to his credit, he has not shied away from it.
In Thursday night’s 114-110 loss to the Heat in Miami, Barrett recorded his second-career triple-double. He was aggressive in getting to the rim and rebounded well, but more was required, whether it was finding his teammates or scoring.
Following Toronto’s loss, which dropped the Raptors’ record to 7-19, head coach Darko Rajakovic spoke of the need for Barrett to push the envelope further.
The Torontonian’s 13 points were his second-lowest output of the season, on 5-for-18 shooting, but he recorded 10 assists, the fifth time he has reached double digits in dishes.
He hauled down 11 rebounds, the third time this season he has reached double figures, on a night only Bam Adebayo (16) had more.
There were also a season-high three blocks — after entering the night with six on the season — but he turned the ball over six times, precisely half of Toronto’s combined 12 turnovers.
Rajakovic wasn’t going to single out the six turnovers because that’s not his style. The second-year bench boss understands the challenge that Barrett was asked to embrace.
As with most losses this season, Toronto’s fourth defeat in a row provided some invaluable learning moments.
Chief among them involved Barrett, who has shown plenty of growth amid the lost games and players lost to injury. A rare technical foul to Barrett only underscored the frustration.
Ideally, less is best for Barrett, but these are hardly ideal times without Barnes and Quickley.
Barrett’s first-career triple-double came on Nov. 16 in Boston during an epic overtime loss to the host Celtics when he was at his best.
In Miami on Thursday, he was nowhere near his best in playing a team-high 34 minutes.
The Raptors will be home for the next three games, beginning with a Monday night date against the Chicago Bulls. Barrett has looked more comfortable at home.
No one could have envisioned Barrett being asked to shoulder so much, but at the same time no one thought both Quickley and Barnes would be sidelined at the same time for so long.
A shoulder injury suffered in the pre-season opener kept Barrett out of the lineup in the regular schedule’s opening three games.
When he returned, Quickley was hurt in the wake of his hard fall to the floor in Toronto’s opening-night loss to the visiting Cavaliers.
When Quickley returned, he played two games before sustaining his wrist injury.
At no point this season has Toronto’s Big Three been on the floor at the same time. And there isn’t anything to suggest all three will be on the court together anytime soon.
Barrett, however, has proven to be the most durable. What the Raptors must do is provide him with help, which will take some of the pressure off his shoulders.
To lessen his load, it might serve the Raptors better if someone such as Davion Mitchell gets the start Monday at the point.
It may also serve Barrett better if he gets thrown into the fire in the dual role of playmaker and primary scorer.
He’s not ready to be the go-to guy, but each game and every time he’s asked to carry such a burden will only make him a better all-around player.
GRADING GRADEY
The same could be said about Gradey Dick and how he has to find the right balance between taking good shots instead of forcing them.
A baseline three from the right corner in Toronto’s loss to the host Miami Heat highlighted Dick’s poor selection.
On the same night, he had this eye-popping up and under from just inside the foul line that found net.
He scored 22 points in Toronto’s four-point loss, but needed 19 attempts. He heaved 11 three-pointers, but drained only three.
In terms of efficiency, this was not the ideal game for Dick, but he’s perpetually moving off the ball and playing with a level of confidence that appears unwavering.