He ended up joining the starting five in place of Davion Mitchell and took over as point guard, with his six assists leading the top unit. So long as Immanuel Quickley (elbow) remains sidelined, Barnes could end up serving as Toronto's lead facilitator,

In a rebuilding scenario, there is the urge to make every positive sign seem bigger than it is. The Toronto Raptors have had plenty of those signs this year. Gradey Dick’s game has expanded. RJ Barrett’s passing has improved.