NBA Odds: How high is the ceiling for the Toronto Raptors’ RJ Barrett this season?

The Toronto Raptors made a huge splash when they acquired RJ Barrett from the New York Knicks on December 30. The 23-year-old Mississauga, Ontario native is a staple of the Canadian national basketball team and he’s just the eighth Canadian ever to suit up for the Raptors.

Barrett’s short tenure has been successful, but how high is the ceiling for him in Toronto this season?

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RJ Barrett back in the Six

Although it’s still early, the homecoming has been good for Barrett and the Raptors. Toronto is 3-1 since the blockbuster trade that also added Immanuel Quickley, and Barrett is coming off a season-high 37-point performance in the Dinos’ 133-118 blowout win in Golden State on January 7.

Barrett is averaging 21.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game over four outings with Toronto, which is slightly higher than his season-average of 18.6 ppg. His 37-point performance against the Warriors was the third-highest scoring game of his career and the highest scoring game ever by a Canadian-born player in Raptors franchise history.

Five more 30’s

So, with one 30-point performance in a Raptors uniform already under his belt, what are the chances Barrett can replicate that number five or more times before the end of the regular season? For comparison, Barrett hit the 30-point mark seven times last season, with six of those games coming after January 1.

Despite only having one 30-point game this season, it’s not unreasonable to think Barrett can hit that mark five more times before the end of the year as he will factor into Toronto’s offence more than he did with the Knicks. He’s already averaging more minutes played and more shot attempts since joining the Raptors and his shooting percentage has increased significantly. With the very real possibility Pascal Siakam is traded before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Barrett will get the ball even more during the second half of the season.