The reality of being the only Canadian team in the NBA is one of highs and lows for the Toronto Raptors. It means having the entire country (except *maybe* Vancouver) united to cheer for the team, and the spirit of an entire nation behind the squad.
It also means a gulf between the Raptors and the rest of the American teams, that can feel bigger than the 49th Parallel. This is something becomes even more pronounced in perception of players by those south of the border. All this to say, that it’s a travesty
that Scottie Barnes did not make it onto the All-Defensive First Team, ending up on the Second Team with 130 total points.
All-Defensive First Team
- Victor Wembanyama (200 points)
- Chet Holmgren (190 points)
- Ausar Thompson (166 points)
- Rudy Gobert (151 points)
- Derrick White (146 points)
All-Defensive Second Team
- Scottie Barnes (130 points)
- Cason Wallace (94 points)
- Bam Adebayo (71 points)
- OG Anunoby (67 points)
- Dyson Daniels (50 points)
Barnes was 17 points short of First Team honours, and it’s got me scratching my head as to what exactly voters were thinking. Only two Canada-based sportswriters voted in last year’s awards races, drowned in a sea of American perspectives, and it’s likely to be a similar ratio for this year. And while the Raptors have been one of the league’s most prominent teams of the 21st century, the legacy and fanbase of the Boston Celtics is almost incomparable in size, thus lending to the likelihood of some implicit bias.
Derrick White had a very solid defensive season, especially with Jayson Tatum out, as the Celtics’ guard posted a career high in both steals and blocks. But, considering that Scottie Barnes was playing much of the season without his starting centre and served as the defensive anchor for his squad, their responsibilities are by no means comparable. The Celtics finished as second in the Eastern Conference, no mean feat, but White was playing alongside 29-7-5 Jaylen Brown as the offensive centrepiece, while Scottie took on some serious offensive responsibilities in addition to balancing his defensive role, making the latter performance all the more impressive.
Barnes had his own thoughts on the awards, taking the snub good-naturedly, making a commitment to another season of hard work.
The importance of having a good defensive centre cannot be understated, and Ausar Thompson winning the steals title makes 4 out of 5 of the First Team’s awards relatively hard to dispute. But, Scottie Barnes not taking that fifth spot is a grave error for the voting population, and very likely another chapter in the book of writing off the Raptors.
