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 haven’t been here for a few days, but I think it was for the best,” Burns said after Saturday’s practice. “It’s our decision.”
Sources told Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange that the level of practice increased immediately upon Barnes’ return.
Barnes is expected to take on a larger leadership role as the Raptors lost veterans Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby over the past year.
““I just sat down and talked to the coaches and staff and people that I’m really close to,” he said. “They’ve been very supportive in that aspect. A lot of the things that I’m good at come as soon as I step on the floor. I’m a very good communicator when I’m on the floor. I like to talk. When I see something, I like to talk about it as a team or as a unit. So a lot of that happens naturally. We just have to keep working on it.”
This offseason, Barnes and the Raptors agreed to a five-year contract extension worth up to $270 million.
