It’s BBQ time: What are Barnes, Barret and Quickley’s roles at the Raptors cookout?
As the Toronto Raptors inch closer to the start of training camp, admittedly, the only aprons and caps I want to be thinking about are the ones around a grill in late August.
The presumed roster for the 2024-25 season leaves expectations low, desire for excitement high and win-total predictions all over the place. Meaning, there’s no real need to dive into this, but I will anyway because it’s hard to ignore the fact that Toronto’s “BBQ” trio of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley will combine to occupy upwards of 60 per cent of the roster’s salary space moving forward (per Spotrac).
Although not uncommon — the Boston Celtics will be spending close to 70 per cent of their cap space under the first apron on just Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum — it speaks to the reality that the Raptors have gone all-in on the threesome as they shape the next iteration of the team.
So, while we take in one final summer long weekend and excitedly wait for six consecutive months of hoops, now is as good a time as any to head outside and gather around a sizzling grill as we talk some BBQ.
And as is customary for any good backyard cookout, we need to discuss what each person is going to bring to the gathering. Get-togethers need at least some structure. Each person plays a role, meets a need and adds a unique/personal element to the festivities.
Sounds kind of like a basketball team, right? Hopefully, it’s at least close enough for me to talk about the Raptors trio without running this analogy into the ground. Barnes, Barrett and Quickley are Toronto’s core moving forward and how they execute their respective roles determines how successful the cookout (and the season) goes.
Here’s what role I think each member of BBQ should take on at the cookout.
Scottie Barnes: the ultimate host
It should come as no surprise that everyone will be meeting at Barnes’ place for the backyard hangout. When the Raptors signed the 23-year-old agreed to a rookie-scale max extension this offseason, they simultaneously handed Barnes the keys to Scotiabank Arena and made it his for the next five years.
A well-earned deal after the first-time All-Star put up 19.9 points, 8.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds (all career-highs) through 60 games of a tumultuous campaign. His near-20 points per game coincided with career-best marks in three-point (34.1), true shooting (56.6) and effective field goal (52.8) percentage.
Barnes’ impressive play not only resulted in a big payday though, but it also unquestionably propelled him into “the guy” status. And with that title comes the hopes of a fan base and the responsibilities of a franchise. So I believe his job at the cookout is to be the ultimate host.
And any good host worth their salt identifies the needs of those at their gathering and acts accordingly. Whether it’s managing the grill, re-filling the cooler with ice, replacing the overflowing trash bag and so on. The point is, their job is all the jobs.
The host gets to enjoy the benefit of not having to trek home after an evening of fun but the flipside is they have to manage the gathering all night.
Whether it’s being a primary scorer one game, a defensive anchor another or a glue guy the next…Barnes’ role is all the roles. And most likely — as most hosts end up experiencing — he’ll have to do it all in the span of a single evening quite often.
That’s just the reality of being “the guy” for a team. When quarterbacks in the NFL secure cap-crunching deals, for instance, it’s with the understanding that they won’t be surrounded by tons of exceptional weapons, rather they’re being paid to lift the pieces available to them.
By no means does Barnes need to be the ultimate host right away, because it’s hard when you haven’t really done it before and your friend group keeps changing…adding people in and pushing others out. It’s going to take some learning.
However, whether it’s challenging or not, it doesn’t change the fact he’s now expected to fill that role. And how well of a host Barnes ends up becoming is likely going to be the largest factor in determining the success of the cookout.
RJ Barrett: the DJ
Music is so important for any good get-together because it sets the tone. A chill evening can turn up multiple notches almost instantly with the change of a song. Which is why I want Barrett on AUX all night.
With Toronto last season he showed an ability to read the game and match the pace of play effectively. An important skill for any good DJ. If you’re playing upbeat music when the group is expecting a casual conversation space, or you’re bumming folks out with slow jams, it can really impact the vibes of a gathering. Misunderstanding the tastes of those around you can often lead to undesirable results, just ask Barrett himself.
For all the patience, consistency and strong decision-making he showed in Toronto, he arguably demonstrated an equal lack of while in New York. He wasn’t usually allowed to manage the music, so when he did, Barrett often ended up doing too much, forcing things in hopes of a big reaction and it never really worked out.
But once he arrived in Toronto, things sounded different. Why? Because head coach Darko Rajakovic recognized the Canadian’s potential within his system.
In February of last season, the bench boss compared Barrett to another great lefty in Manu Ginobili when speaking to reporters because he saw “some of (Ginobili’s) type of play in him, that he can actually attack, that he sees the floor really well. And that’s what I need for him to do.”
So with Rajakovic’s blessing, the 24-year-old began orchestrating (within the offence, not music) and showed that he could effectively curate game-changing plays on the hardwood. And it resulted in career-best marks in multiple areas and arguably his best stretch of play in the NBA.
| New York (297 games) | Toronto (32 games) |
| 18.1 PPG | 21.8 PPG |
| 5.4 REB | 6.4 REB |
| 2.8 AST | 4.1 AST |
| 43.5/ 34.6/ 71 per cent shooting splits | 55.3/ 39.2/ 62.9 per cent shooting splits |
When the Raptors pushed in transition, Barrett was often in the middle of it. When they settled into the halfcourt, he’d follow suit and execute. Whether he was spotting up from deep or ramming his way to the basket, Barrett was making the right decision more often than not based on what was happening around him.
And that’s what I want from the person in charge of music at the cookout. Someone who knows when to keep it mellow but also understands when it’s time to turn up.
The biggest question for him is whether that was a flash in the pan or if he can truly keep it up for a full season. For what it’s worth, I not only believe he does while playing under Rajakovic, but my bold(ish) take is that Barrett leads the Raptors in scoring this season.
Immanuel Quickley: the table setter
I know there’s not often a designated person to set a table at a backyard hangout but hear me out for the sake of the analogy.
Quickley, after securing a five-year, $175 million deal this offseason with Toronto, has been locked in as the squad’s lead guard. And any good floor general sets up his peers for success.
And that’s what a good table-setter does. They understand who should sit next to who, which person is chatty and is comfortable sitting in the middle and who would rather be at the end because their social battery drains much faster.
As much as we hope to see more of the Quickley who averaged a career-best 18.6 points per game through 38 games with Toronto last season, I also want to see more of the guard that was dishing 6.8 assists as the starting point guard for the first time in his career — creating a positive impact for those around him as much as he was for himself.
It remains to be seen if he can manage that for a full campaign but it’s worth noting that the added ball-handling responsibilities didn’t exactly cause any noticeable slippage in his play playmaking proficiency. Despite a career-high mark of 1.8 turnovers a game with Toronto last season (which made sense given his increase in touches), his 3.67 assist-to-turnover ratio was 24th-best in the league.
In his first full season with the Raptors, Quickley will be expected to show more of that. Produce quality outcomes for both himself and others at a consistent rate. Make it easier for those around him, especially teammates who can’t create advantages for themselves as easily. Reminisce back to the days of prime Kyle Lowry throwing outlet passes to a blitzing and spinning Pascal Siakam in transition. By the time Lowry had landed after securing a rebound, he was already locating No. 43 down the court to get the then-youngster good looks when touches were scarce for him.
Now it’s Quickley’s turn to figure out his roster. Which side does Ja’Kobe Walter like to cut and relocate from best, what does a two-man game with Jakob Poeltl or Barnes look like, and so forth.
If he can map out the right seat at the table for each of his teammates, the cookout ultimately will go much smoother.
Don’t worry, the rest of the team will help with the cookout too. It won’t completely fall on the shoulders of the BBQ trio. Gradey Dick probably brings hot dogs, Poeltl presumably makes a pasta salad (or if you ask Louis, he’ll show up with noodles) and the rookies will simply try to stick around without being relegated to the kids’ table (G-League).
So while we await hardcore hoops, let’s make the most of the few remaining chances we have this year for outdoor fun and take solace in the fact that although the good weather might be fleeting, BBQ season in Toronto is just getting started.
And although the newness of that brings uncertainty it also provides opportunity. Whether that comes in the roles of host, DJ and table-setter for the trio, as I envision, or something else entirely, they’ll get some runway to figure it out.
Get a plate, find a seat (ask Quickley which one) and watch these Raptors cook.
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