Raptors blow Warriors out behind RJ Barrett's 37 points

Quickley was dealt with RJ Barrett to the Raptors for OG Anunoby, ending a three-plus year stint in New York that included breakthrough performances but declining playing time because of New York’s guard glut. The sparkplug scorer was immediately thrust into Toronto’s starting lineup and scored 26 points in a season-high 33 minutes during Wednesday’s victory over the Grizzlies. “I was happy for him. He’s over there, he’s starting, he’s having a good time,” said Maxey, who posted 27 points and nine assists but was 1 of 7 from long distance in Friday’s loss. “I think he’ll get a little bit more of an opportunity. I’m happy for him. I’m sad that I don’t get to play against him tonight. But I’m happy for him.” -via New York Post / January 6, 2024

Truth be told, it’s not for everyone. Barrett becomes the eighth Canadian to play for Canada’s team, joining a list that primarily includes role players and backups, guys who made brief pit stops in Toronto early in or at the tail end of their careers. Barrett has the chance to be its first hometown star. It’s a big opportunity, and one that Barrett doesn’t take lightly. But it also comes with pressure and some inherent challenges that most professional athletes don’t have to worry about. “If you don’t handle it right it can be a lot at certain times,” Toronto native and former Raptors guard Cory Joseph said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “It’s definitely more of a responsibility, or at least [it] feels that way. And there’s no problem with that, you just have to feel out your own type of routine.” -via TSN / January 4, 2024

Joseph, who’s in his 13th NBA campaign and first with the Golden State Warriors, was also 23 and at a similar stage of his career when he signed with Toronto in 2015. Initially, the biggest challenge was learning how to manage his schedule, between community appearances, speaking engagements, ticket requests and other demands on his time. He credits the strong support system that he had around him – something he and Barrett have in common – for helping him figure it out quickly. His immediate family would come to every game, while his close friends were on a rotating schedule, and his business manager took care of other ticket requests. As for events in the community, he would try to do as much as he could without getting too burnt out ahead of games. His focus was on the job, but he knew the responsibility was bigger than that. “For me, I was doing more. I wanted to, I felt like I needed to,” Joseph said. “Outside of basketball, it’s just adjusting to playing in the city you grew up in, knowing a lot more people in that city, and wanting to do more in the community because you’re from there.” -via TSN / January 4, 2024