'No, not really': Scottie Barnes on if he talked to Nick Nurse

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes discusses the loss to the 76ers, Gradey Dick's breakout game and what exchanges he had with Nick Nurse.

Video Transcript

SCOTTIE BARNES: I don't know. I didn't really look over there that much. You know, I was focused on the game. But you know, I don't know. Good to see you, I guess.

[LAUGHTER]

- You guys just exchanged any words or anything like that?

SCOTTIE BARNES: No, not really. Like, I barely saw him, to be honest. So I didn't really see when he walked in, or I wasn't really looking over there. I really just focused on the game, trying to win.

- Was there any added motivation, or anything among the team to beat your former coach?

SCOTTIE BARNES: No. You know, we was just trying to go out there and win. Try to beat these guys, just try to get back on the right track. Just had to come out there the next game, and play better, play harder, and try to go out there and win.

- Tough third quarter. Did it feel or look like there were some heavy legs out there, second night of a back to back?

SCOTTIE BARNES: I don't really know about that. I don't think so. You know? They got some calls, they made some shots. They adjusted to our defense a little bit. Just a game of runs, and they're going to score some. But we just got to be better, keep defending. Something else, we just got to get better from this and go out there next game and execute on both ends of the floor.

- Did you make some progress from last night? [INAUDIBLE] the same, but, it didn't feel quite as--

SCOTTIE BARNES: You know, we had a lot of good moments in our last game. We just didn't really come out with that dub, we had a lot of mistakes as well. At least we cut down our turnovers, I guess. But, I cut down a lot of mine, too. You know? I had a lot of turnovers last one. But, you know, it was just-- going out there, executing on both ends of the floor, I feel like that's what our main thing is, they had 114 points. They had a big third quarter, just got to keep defending throughout the whole game. Stay locked in, and keep making adjustments.

- Still early, obviously, but aside from the first half last night, you guys as a team have shot the ball, 3 ball really well. I know you put a lot of work into it, the team over the summer, put a lot of work into it individually and collectively. How encouraging is that?

SCOTTIE BARNES: Our coaches, they always tell us-- Darko, our assistant coaches as well, go out there and stay confident throughout the whole entire game. Even when we were missing that last game. Darko just continually telling us to go out there, shoot the ball, be confident in our shot. It's going to fall. So that's what they preach every day in practice and that's what we work on all the time. So just go out there and shooting the ball and being confident. I feel like it gives everybody confidence out there. When they shoot it, we all feel like it's going to go in.

- That's sort of the first game Gradey really got going. Can you feel things loosening up for the whole offense when he starts to provide that aspect?

SCOTTIE BARNES: He's really good for us today, making shots, being able-- he played some defense. So he did great things for us today, getting out there in transition, extending the defense. He was great for us today.

- Is that the kind of player, you have that kick out pass, you like to get into the paint, that playing alongside a guy like that, does that really help your game?

SCOTTIE BARNES: I feel like it helps our team in general, not just mine. I feel like it helps everybody. You got to-- me, I can get into the paint, Dennis can get into the paint, Pascal get into the paint, Precious is a big part of that getting to the paint, OG can get to the paint. So we got a lot of guys that like going downhill, and when we be able to extend the floor with the kick outs, it just helps everybody extend their game, and it pushes the-- makes it-- forces the defense to extend.

- Are you surprised that-- I don't know how close you pay attention to the numbers this early in the season, but the half court offense has struggled by the numbers. It's not necessarily slow possessions, it's just so far, a difficulty making shots at the rim, maybe in the short, mid-range. Are you surprised about that struggle early on in the season?

SCOTTIE BARNES: No. New system-- we got-- we just keep adjusting each and every game. Still filling out trying to really find what our go-to is, getting our identity, find those right ball movement where we need to get the ball in order to start our offense, where we're going to create it at. So it's still early in the season. So we're going to find it. We trust and believe in each other, and we just got to stay together.

- So you guys aren't positive after two losses. But does it feel like the energy is still different than it was last year?

SCOTTIE BARNES: Our energy is really-- everybody's positive right now. We're just trying to get-- if we lose, we're getting over to the next game, focusing on that. But our energy is amazing. No matter if we-- just trying to keep that same energy if we win, keep it-- even if we lose, just try to keep positive vibes, keep good energy, and you could just see nobody's giving up. We still got a lot of fight in us, and our heads are on the right place.

- One last question on your defense. You've been playing lower in the defense this year. It's giving you a lot of opportunities for blocks. Are you happy to be playing a style of defense that kind of leads into your length down low, you're a quick jumper, you can tie guys up, have you been happy about that?

SCOTTIE BARNES: It's just about making those right reads, those right plays. Just-- within our defense you know? If I'm that little guy and I see something happen, and I just go and be able to go try to block the shot. If someone tried to drives on me, just trying to keep finding it, and trying to go chase it. Just about our defense, you know? I feel like-- like I said, we can be a really good defense once we just-- we got a lot of guys that play really good defense. So we just got to stay locked in, and you know, protect our paint, and that's our main goal.

- You spoke about having go-to's, like, it seemed like you got a lot more aggressive after Philadelphia went on that run to start the third. Do you feel like you've got to be a bit more aggressive to start the game, sort of set a tempo going for your teammates?

SCOTTIE BARNES: Just about how the game is going, you know? The game is-- if something is working at the beginning of the game, I feel like we're still-- we were still doing really good at halftime. We were still up at halftime, so you know, I'm not just out there focusing on myself. The team was playing really well. So you're just going with the flow. You know?

When things need to get picked up, you see me come with more energy. It's just about how the game is going, you know? The focus on me some, switch different positions, different-- people are guarding, me different matchups. Just being able to find those recognitions out there, and then just trying to go take advantage, getting more rebounds, pushing it, it's just things happen in the flow of the game.

- Thank you.

- Thank you, Scottie.