The Toronto Raptors can’t catch a break. They had only just welcomed Scottie Barnes a month ago. He had missed 11 games due to a right orbital fracture. Then he played on a breakout trajectory, averaging the most points of his career. Then a clash with Karl-Anthony Towns left the dynamic forward grimacing in pain. He allegedly said “I can’t feel my foot” while the medical staff attended to his ailment.

The Raptors did manage to dodge a long-term injury. X-rays confirmed no fracture to his right ankle. However, the hit will still take a massive toll on Barnes. According to Shams Charania, the Raptors ace will miss “multiple weeks” owing to the new injury. For the 7-18 Raptors, it adds to their problems.

Barnes becomes the third major injury for the Toronto Raptors. Sharpshooter Immanuel Quickley is also out indefinitely with a left elbow injury although he is “progressing”. Additionally, former Nuggets championship guard Bruce Brown is also on the sidelines recouping from a surgery he had on his right knee. He is expected to make his season debut soon.

Scottie Barnes was on a path to having a great season just a year after earning his first All-Star nod. He was averaging a career-high in every major statistic, producing 20.6 points per game for the Raptors this season.

However, their fans see a silver lining in the franchise’s precarious times.

Raptors fans are hopeful to land Cooper Flagg amidst Scottie Barnes’ injury troubles

For any team underperforming this season, there are hopes to land a potentially generational prospect. Duke’s Cooper Flagg has swooned the basketball fraternity with his advanced development. The near seven-foot forward is already touted as the unanimous number-one pick. Hence, Raptors fans are hopeful it’s “Cooper Flagg time”. 

The Duke forward has generated incredible buzz since his days in high school. Additionally, he also impressed the top echelon NBA players as part of the USA Select Team. Playing against the likes of Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, Flagg was able to hold his own against pros. Devin Booker saw a bright future in the making, saying “He has everything he takes and I’m sure he wants that”.

However, landing the top pick requires more than just a bad record. The element of luck plays a vital role too. Even if the Raptors can’t capture Flagg though, the draft class is filled with great talents. Hence, Raptors fans are confident that their young core could see a great addition through the draft.

A fan wrote, “Time to fully tank this season and draft another superstar to pair with Scottie Barnes”. Aside from Cooper Flagg, the 2025 class comprises other elite talents such as Ace Bailey, guard Dylan Harper, and even Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe. However, the preference for any team without doubt will by on Duke’s top talent.

The Scottie Barnes fans on the other hand had very reason to be saddened. Not only did the Raptors have a great young nucleus with him on the floor, but he had an immediate impact on his return. With multiple injuries on their roster, some fans feel a bad omen. “Damn I knew he was going to miss some time, raptors cursed with injuries” one fan resonated.

With Barnes, the team had a 5-9 record. While not impressive, it was a stable building block for when they would have some of their key contributors such as Brown and Quickley return. Unfortunately, with the forward out multiple weeks, it seems their struggling times will last longer than expected.

The injury also adds to the NBA’s problems. Since the beginning of the season, there has been a drastic drop in viewership. The major reason has been linked to injuries to star players. Scottie Barnes takes the spark away from another exciting team which has fans questioning “Are there any stars that can remain healthy this year?”.

Aside from the 23-year-old, the likes of Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Paolo Banchero, Kevin Durant, and several other marquee names are sidelined with injuries. For fans, not being able to watch their favorite stars hoop is a huge reason for the viewership drop-off. Given the pattern, Adam Silver might need to take a deeper dive into the reasons for such unfortunate incidents.