Scottie Barnes returned to practice with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday after missing the first four days of training camp due to an undisclosed personal matter.
“I wasn’t here for a couple of days, and I think that’s what’s best,” Barnes said after practice Saturday. “Our decision.”
Sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that the return of Barnes immediately elevated the level of practice.
With the Raptors losing veterans Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby over the past year, Barnes is expected to take a bigger leadership role.
“I just sat back, talked to coaches, talked to the staff and talked to the people that I’m really close with,” he said. “They helped with those things a lot. A lot of the things I do well come right into place when I step out there on the floor. I’m a really high communicator when I’m out there on the floor. I like talking. When I see things I like talking about it as a team, as a unit. So a lot of those things come naturally. You just got to keep working on it.”