The Toronto Raptors are the only Canadian team in the NBA, with their top dog at the moment being Scottie Barnes. Despite his electric defensive performance this season, he didn't receive the respect from the American media he deserved, especially when it came to handing out end-of-season awards.
Once upon a time, there were two Canadian-based teams in the league. In addition to the Raptors, there were also the Vancouver Grizzlies. They only lasted six years before moving to Memphis. The whole mess of shenanigans that led to that are thoroughly covered in more than one documentary.
While most players, coaches, and executives don't seem to have a problem with a Canadian NBA presence, some American writers and broadcasters still do. There has long been a tendency to dismiss the sole Canadian franchise and its players as irrelevant. That impacted Barnes this season.
End-of-season awards are voted on by what is called a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. In reality, the vast majority of those people are American and generally vote for players on American-based franchises. Many of them just don't pay much attention to the Raptors.
Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes was robbed of at least two NBA honors
Barnes has been in the league since 2021 and has spent his entire career with the Raptors. In 2025-2026, he found a new gear and took a major step towards being a true superstar, leading his team to the playoffs with an exceptional and consistent defensive effort. He definitely earned some recognition.
Despite his excellent defensive play, he was fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Rudy Gobert, Ausar Thompson, Chet Holmgren, and the eventual winner, Victor Wembanyama. While no one expected Barnes to beat Wemby, he certainly outperformed the players in second, third, and fourth.
Being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team makes even less sense. Since he was fifth in DPOY voting, he should have been a shoo-in for the First Team. There are five spots to be given out, after all. Instead, Derrick White was named to the First Team while the top four DPOY vote-getters made up the rest of those placements. Barnes was the only one in the DPOY top five left out.
If Barnes, an American athlete, played for an American-based franchise, he would have been in at least the top three in DPOY voting and would have made the NBA All-Defensive First Team. At least he was named an All-Star this year, voting for which is done by fans, players, and coaches in addition to the media.
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