Raptor film room: Scottie Barnes named All-Star

The Raptors celebrated an All-Star nod for Scottie Barnes. They mourned an All-Star snub for Brandon Ingram. But they also had a game to play. They grinded out a win over the Utah Jazz, despite getting dominated on the inside and struggling to defend the bigs from Utah.

I broke down Ingram’s All-Star case, plus why Barnes is on a DPOY trajectory:

Here is Camden on Ingram’s All-Star case:

The first that comes to mind is when he “had [Siakam] at his mercy” before rising and drilling a game-winner in his face, a win directly created by his elite shot making. But throughout the course of the season there’s been countless clutch shots to bail out the Raptors at the end of a shot clock, or to get them a bucket when no one else could. He’s been there when the Raptors have needed him most. 37 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. A game-winning assist to RJ Barrett against the Charlotte Hornets, immediately followed with a game-saving block on Ryan Kalkbrenner.Ingram has had massive moments for this team, moments that should matter to voters.

Finally, there’s the storyline, which encompasses everything we’ve just touched on, but takes into account additional, external factors. You can’t convince me that Ingram being the centerpiece of a trade for Anthony Davis didn’t play a role in him making his first All-Star appearance. Once again Ingram’s All-Star campaign began with a trade, but this time he had to prove he can be a winning basketball player rather than just a talented one. It’s a story of redemption, proving to the world that he can stay healthy and impact winning basketball.

When he came to Toronto, doubts about his health clouded what should have been hailed as a homerun trade. But given the fact that he had only played 18 games that year, and hadn’t played over 65 games since his rookie season, fans and media were left to question whether this was the smart move to make. His health, and his relative lack of success in New Orleans, led people to question how good of a player Ingram really is. Sure he can hit the tough shots, and do so with the highest level of finesse, but can he impact real winning?

After the first 50 games, I’d say those concerns can be put to bed. Ingram has played in 96% of Toronto’s games this season, and alongside Barnes has driven this Raptors team to their best record in years. He’s bought into this system and has proven that he can be a key part of winning basketball. Ingram meets all the criteria of an All-Star, and while he wasn’t officially recognized as one tonight, he’s proven that he should be an All-Star.

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