Toronto pushed Denver to overtime Monday night because of Scottie Barnes: 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Then, with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Nikola Jokic caught Barnes in the face with an inadvertent elbow while going for a rebound, and it was instantly clear Barnes was in real pain.
Scottie Barnes got hit in the face by Nikola Jokic, he isn’t okay 💔 pic.twitter.com/icGDWFnBuE
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 29, 2024
Wednesday the Raptors announced that Barnes has been diagnosed with a right orbital fracture (the bone that surrounds the eye). He will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
This is a massive blow for the Raptors, who lean heavily on Barnes for shot creation. The fourth-year All-Star is averaging 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6 assists a game this season, although he has struggled from 3 (18.2%). Without him, a lot more falls on the shoulders of RJ Barrett (who just returned from an AC joint sprain) and Davion Mitchell to create shots for others, and players such as Grady Dick will need to pick up their scoring pace.
The Raptors are 1-3 to start the season and this timeline means Barnes will be out for a challenging road trip that starts next week and includes Denver, both Los Angeles teams and Milwaukee. It’s tough to see Toronto gaining any traction without Barnes in the lineup.
