Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, Malachi Flynn put on clinic at Toronto pro-am
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Basketball fans gathered on August 20 to watch the first pro-am game in Toronto in nearly three years, thanks to pandemic cancellations for what used to be a summer tradition — and they were not disappointed.
The Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes and Malachi Flynn played in front of a packed house at the Mattamy Athletic Centre for the Ball Don’t Stop pro-am game. Both players have been frequent participants in similar games throughout the offseason. Needless to say, the duo went to work.
Flynn was a bucket, taking over the game and notching 54 points, while Barnes impressed with 34 points and a number of dunks. The highlights, as you could expect, were electric.
In the end, Flynn was presented with a UFC championship belt as the game’s MVP. It’s just another notch in his belt after becoming somewhat of a pro-am circuit legend this summer. In July, he went off at Jamal Crawford’s CrawsOver game in Seattle with 73 points, and then followed that performance with 52 points at the famed Drew League in Los Angeles just two weeks later.
In addition to Barnes and Flynn, Kyree Walker of the Washington Wizards’ G-League affiliate also played in the game, along with players from the CEBL, universities and other international leagues. Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks, a Mississauga local, made a surprise appearance courtside to watch the show as well.
Seeing Flynn succeed, in particular, is a bright spot for the Raptors’ faithful. It’s been a bit of a difficult road for the San Diego State product since being drafted in 2020 as he’s never been able to match the same offensive output he showed at the collegiate level. While it isn’t a sure thing that he’ll be able to translate this same scoring prowess to the league, Flynn did look better and more confident with the ball in his hands, which is in itself is a positive.
Barnes, meanwhile, was doing more of the same things that earned him the Rookie of the Year title this past season. From flying to the rim and hammering down a thunderous slam while putting on a strong defensive showing against the opposing team’s best player, Barnes looks even better than he was this past season.
Pro-am runs have been a popular outing for basketball players and their fans throughout the dog days of the offseason, and especially so this year with stars including LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and DeMar DeRozan making appearances. As fans continue their wait for the return of NBA action, seeing their favourite players dominate the pro-am circuit has definitely made August — a usual dead period for NBA activity — much more exciting.