Sandro Mamukelashvili could unlock the court for Scottie Barnes

The newest Toronto Raptors acquisition brings a skillset Barnes hasn’t played with since his Rookie of the Year-winning season.

Spacing makes the NBA world turn, or at least that’s what Toronto Raptors fans have vigorously claimed this off-season. There’s at least some truth to that claim.

Recent championship rosters like the 2024 Boston Celtics and 2021 Milwaukee Bucks have leaned on centres that stretch the floor, empowering players like Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo to devour open space. Teams like the 2022 Golden State Warriors and this year’s Oklahoma City Thunder deployed a traditional big man but also boasted deadly small-ball five options.

Then there’s the 2019 Toronto Raptors, who, like the 2023 Denver Nuggets, had old-school defensive bigs that could also knock down threes.

Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster understands that this matters, especially for a team featuring a player like Scottie Barnes. The 2021-22 Rookie of the Year is at his best when he’s attacking downhill or exposing mismatches in the post. Putting Barnes in these positions can feel laborious at times, specifically when there’s a centre sitting in the dunker’s spot.

The Raptors conveniently added Sandro Mamukelashvili on a two-year deal worth $5.5-million on July 4, providing Barnes with an intriguing stretch-five option he normally doesn’t have access to. Let’s take a look under the hood of the Raptors’ latest acquisition and see what it means for Barnes.

Scottie Barnes’ Short History with the Raptors

Since being drafted with the No.4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Barnes has played on some of the worst three-point shooting teams in Raptors’ history.

2024-25

• Three-point percentage: 34.8%
• League rank: 23rd
• Players shooting above league average: Ochai Agbaji, Jamison Battle, Kelly Olynyk, Immanuel Quickley

2023-24

• Three-point percentage: 34.7%
• League rank: 27th
• Players shooting above league average: RJ Barrett, OG Anunoby, Immanuel Quickley, Gary Trent Jr.

2022-23

• Three-point percentage: 33.5%
• League Rank: 28th
• Players shooting above league average: OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr.

2021-22

• Three-point percentage: 34.9%
• League Rank: 21st
• Players shooting above league-average: Precious Achiuwa, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., Fred VanVleet

Of that group, only Olynyk (6-11, 240 pounds) and Achiuwa (6-8, 225 pounds) were listed at the centre. Mamukelashvili measures exactly like the Canadian veteran Olynyk, standing at six-foot-11 and weighing 240 pounds per Basketball Reference. While Mamukelashvili doesn’t have the deep portfolio that Olynyk has put together, he has time on his side at 26 years old.

In addition to Olynyk and Achiuwa, the best three-point shooting centres Barnes has played with in his career are Chris Boucher (6-9) and Orlando Robinson (7-0). Robinson shot 34 % in 2024-25, while Boucher shot 36.3% in the same year, marking the Canadian’s best perimeter-shooting season since Barnes entered the league.

Raptors add a Center Project in Mamu

Mamukelashvili averaged one three-pointer on 37.3% shooting last year. If he had been on the Raptors’ roster, the former 2021 second-round pick would have been the only big on the team to average at least one three and shoot better than the league average.

While Mamukelashvili likely won’t start or end games, the six-foot-11 centre generates compelling lineup compositions that Raptors fans haven’t seen since the 2019 championship run.

His shooting splits best resemble Boucher’s percentages in 2024-25. Boucher is the better weak side help defender and rim protector, but Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic likely hopes the extra 40 pounds Mamukelashvili has on Boucher will push Barnes away from wrestling with opposing centres in the paint.

Mamukelashvili also has a secondary arsenal predicated on reckless closeouts that haven’t been fully tapped into yet. Unlike other stretch shooters, Mamukelashvili prefers to set up top and on the wings, rather than in the corners. This type of shooting spread opens the floor up for Mamukelashvili to better exploit the second level of the defence.

• Top: 23/62 (37.1%)
• Left-wing: 12/27 (44.4%)
• Right-wing: 13/29 (44.8%)
• Left corner: 6/17 (35.3%)
• Right corner: 6/26 (23.1%)

His ability to hit the long ball and counter close-outs with a deceiving in-between game could help the Raptors avoid scoring slumps midway through the second or third quarters, an issue that has plagued this team over the years, regardless of who is on the roster.

What’s the Barnes-Mamu Vision?

In Raptors lineups with over 100 minutes played, Barnes’ 2021-22 five-man unit featuring VanVleet, Trent Jr., Pascal Siakam, and Achiuwa stands out. That group finished with a 21.2-point net difference, and Achiuwa shot 35.9% from deep. Barnes also shot 58.1% in the paint on 583 attempts, arguably the best mark of his career, only rivalled by his 2023-24 season in which he shot 58.3% but finished with 39 fewer makes.

There’s evidence that suggests Barnes will rediscover parts of his game with a shooting centre who can play extended minutes. Since leaving Toronto, Siakam thrived playing next to Myles Turner and saw an uptick in his paint and field-goal percentages.

Keep an eye out for what Mamukelashvili can do for Barnes this season.