What to know
- RJ Barrett said he’s excited but uncertain what to expect from playoff basketball in Toronto, as this will be his first postseason experience with the Toronto Raptors.
- Barrett previously played in the playoffs with the New York Knicks, reaching the second playoffs round in 2023.
- He helped lead the Raptors back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, averaging 20.5 points per game alongside Scottie Barnes, and highlighted strong national support.
- The Raptors will face the Knicks in round one, on April 18.
As the Toronto Raptors gear up to compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs beginning on Saturday, forward and guard RJ Barrett spoke to reporters about what it means to be back in the tournament after leading the team to their playoffs berth.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Barrett was asked by a reporter on how he would describe what being in the playoffs in Toronto was like to his teammates who haven’t been in the running before.
“I don’t really know myself. I’m going to see it for the first time in Toronto, too,” Barrett explained. “As a fan, especially when they won the championship, I was doing my pre-draft stuff. I was in LA with my friends, screaming, jumping around the TV, just hyped.”
Barrett has played in the postseason before. When he was a small forward and point guard for the New York Knicks in both 2021 and 2023 the team made it to the playoffs. The furthest he had gone was when he helped the Knicks reach the second round in 2023 by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Barrett was able to clinch a playoff spot for the Raptors by leading them alongside Scottie Barnes, with an average of 20.5 points per game. They won against the Brooklyn Nets during their qualifier game on Monday, successfully avoiding a play-in tournament by going 136-101 and ranking as a top 6 team in the eastern conference.
Even Toronto’s newest women’s team congratulated the Raptors.
In the same press conference, the Mississauga-native player said they have support from home.
“We have a whole country behind us,” Barrett said. “Got to go on and put out for the city.”
This is the first time the Toronto Raptors have punched their playoff ticket since 2022, where they were eliminated after placing 5th in the eastern conference, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The first round of the playoffs’ schedule dropped on Wednesday. The Raptors will face off against Barrett’s former team, the New York Knicks, for their first game of the eastern conference on Saturday.
Barrett talks Toronto Tempo ahead of inaugural season
Another reporter at the same press conference asked Barrett if he had any advice for the new Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team before they play for the first time on May 8.
While the Raptors forward didn’t provide any advice, he did express his gratitude on behalf of the team.
“I just want to say that we’re thankful, and we’re grateful, and we’re excited for the Tempo to be here, and to get their season started,” Barrett said. “I think [Tempo] signing Kia [Nurse] is big time. She’ll be able to hold it down in that regard over there.”
Nurse has previously played for the Chicago Sky, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury, and the New York Liberty. She has also competed for Team Canada in the Olympics as well as the Pan Am Games.
Barrett also said the support for the Toronto Tempos will be major.
“Like I said, you have a whole country behind you.”
