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On Monday night, during the game between the Raptors and Timberwolves, Scottie Barnes, the...
On Monday night, during the game between the Raptors and Timberwolves, Scottie Barnes, the Raptors' leading scorer, attempted to block a shot by Karl-Anthony Towns. Unfortunately, Towns landed on Barnes' foot, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. Barnes was heard saying "I can't feel my foot" and had to be assisted off the court. He was unable to continue playing for the rest of the game. The following day, Barnes was spotted at the team facility wearing a walking boot for his injured foot.
Wednesday the team announced that Barnes suffered a sprained right ankle and will be re-evaluated in one week. Earlier in the day,
Shams Charania of ESPN
reported Barnes was expected to miss "several weeks" with the injury.Even several weeks is better than it looked like that night.
Losing Barnes is a setback for the already struggling Raptors (7-18, 14th in the East), although this is not a catastrophe for a team more focused on the draft than making the postseason at this point. Barnes has been playing at an All-Star level and is the primary catalyst of their offense, averaging 20.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists a night. The Raptors are +4.1 better with Barnes on the court this season (stat via Cleaning the Glass).
While there is no timeline, don't expect the Raptors to rush him back.
