This is a blow to the hope in Toronto it could make a push for the final play-in spot in the East.
Raptors All-Star Scottie Barnes is out indefinitely with a fracture to the third metacarpal bone of his left hand, the team announced Friday night. The third metacarpal bone is the long bone in the hand that connects the wrist to the middle finger of the hand. The injury occurred late in the second quarter of Toronto’s 120-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors Friday night.
How long Barnes is out will depend on where the injury is and the course of treatment, but Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes suggests he will miss most, if not all, of the remaining regular season.
Re: Scottie Barnes: Time lost for his broken hand will be decided by the nature of the break & subsequent treatment.
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) March 2, 2024
AVG time lost for 3rd metacarpal fx's that didn't need surgery: 12 games (31 days)
AVG time lost for 3rd metacarpal fx's that needed surgery: 18 games (41 days)
Toronto traded away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby around the deadline with the plans to retool their roster around Barnes. He was an All-Star this year and had not missed a game, averaging 20 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists a night.
With the Hawks’ Trae Young out at least a month and likely longer following his own hand surgery, there was hope in Toronto that the Raptors could make a run and catch Atlanta for the final play-in spot in the East. However, the Raptors are 4.5 games behind the Hawks with 22 games to play; it’s possible the Raptors will shut down Barnes for the remainder of the season. That especially makes sense considering the Raptors owe their 2024 first-round draft pick to the Spurs, but it is top-six protected — Toronto currently has the seventh-worst record in the NBA, two games better than Memphis (a team that continues to play hard despite the rash of injuries it has faced). The Raptors could play their young players more — read: tank — in an effort to hold on to that pick. However, even if the Raptors fall behind the Hawks and have the sixth-worst record, the odds still favor the pick conveying to the Spurs due to the NBA Draft Lottery.
The Raptors lost to the Warriors Friday night 120-105. Stephen Curry scored 25 points for the Warriors, and Jonathan Kuminga had 24.
