Raptors must immediately address Scottie Barnes' bad body language

Just when you thought Scottie Barnes had turned the corner and seemed well on his way to being part of the all-star conversation, along comes two stinkers — in back-to-back, no less.

For the first time this season, the Raptors were held to fewer than 100 points in two straight games, not surprisingly leading to two successive losses.

For the first time this season, Barnes emerged as a complete non-factor in a home loss to the Boston Celtics and a road loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

Toronto returns to action Tuesday night in Miami against an undersized Heat team that witnessed the full impact of a fully engaged Barnes as recently as last Monday, when the Raptors earned the win.

Hitting a wall, as some would argue, is the stuff of excuses, the kind of convenient alibi that cannot be summoned when sizing up Sunday’s total embarrassment in Brooklyn.

Granted, the Raptors had to deal with a mechanical issue on their charter, resulting in a very late — or in this case, early morning — arrival time at their hotel. As if travel issues in the NBA are new.

What’s new is Barnes’ lack of engagement the past two games.

While the sample size is small, his status as the face of the Raptors franchise and his overall presence on games cannot be dismissed.

He has been bad and, as a result, the Raptors looked lost and disjointed against a Celtics team missing its best player in Jaylen Brown (Jayson Tatum likely is out for the season following last spring’s torn Achilles).

Once again, Toronto’s lack of size played a factor, among others.

Barnes failed to step up when his team needed him the most. Consistency can be elusive, but big-time players always find a way to make some kind of imprint on games, even when their shot isn’t dropping or when the whistle goes against them.

Barnes needs to be tougher, a term that can easily apply to the rest of his teammates.

He needs to fight through whatever issue, real or imagined, is holding back the Raptors on any particular night.

Body language problems

What was most disturbing about Sunday’s no-show in Brooklyn was Barnes’ body language. He had this look of defeat, which Barnes seldom displays.

Scoring a season-low six points might do that to a player on a night the Raptors capped off their misery by netting a season-low 81 points to eclipse the previous low of 86 during a home loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

In back-to-back losses, Barnes has gone a combined 8-for-25 from the field, including a woeful 1-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc. In back-to-back games, he has scored a total of 18 points, which committing seven combined turnovers. In his past five games, Barnes has attempted seven free throws.

The numbers are one thing — and there’s no masking the ugliness — but it’s Barnes’ look of frustration that needs to be addressed, if that’s even possible.

It’s in stark contrast to the visibly exulted Barnes when he led the Raptors to their win last Monday in Miami, hauling down a crucial offensive rebound down the stretch and recording a critical block, a sequence that clearly demonstrated his two-way prowess. In a road win in Milwaukee, Barnes was once again dominant.

Then comes two ugly losses and one is left to wonder why Barnes symbolically checked himself out of Sunday’s tip in Brooklyn.

Such moments can’t happen, such concessions are inexcusable for someone who knows he must set the tone on a nightly basis.

Missing shots are one thing because that’s life in the NBA, but missing in action is intolerable.

Coddled by coach?

One of the biggest knocks surrounding third-year head coach Darko Rajakovic is that he coddles Barnes.

In his rookie season, it was understandable because there was no point in ruffling the feathers of someone whom the franchise anointed as its face. Last season turned into a write-off.

But this season was going to be different, especially with a healthy Brandon Ingram on the roster and all the offensive opportunities he was poised to unlock.

Jakob Poeltl’s troublesome back issue must somehow get ironed out, while RJ Barrett’s unavailability in the wake of a knee injury does not help the Raptors. At the end of the day, neither can be used to justify two setbacks.

Ingram returned Sunday after he turned an ankle. As for Barnes, he never returned because he was never in the game to begin with.

When the Nets were imposing their will early, Barnes needed to elevate his game. Instead, he was nowhere to be seen.

When the Raptors finally made a run to close out the third quarter and even took a lead in the final period, it was Immanuel Quickley igniting the team.

Barnes means too much for the Raptors and when so little to virtually nothing is summoned against a Boston team that previously had beaten Toronto at home and against a Nets team the Raptors had twice beaten, justifiable concerns are raised.

Perhaps South Beach will prove to be the tonic Barnes requires. The matchup certainly favours him, knowing last Monday’s performance easily can be replicated.

Saying it means nothing when all that matters is actually producing.

Tuesday’s spotlight is clearly on Barnes.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com