How long is Scottie Barnes out for? Latest update on Raptors star forward's hand injury & probable return timeline

Scottie Barnes will be out indefinitely. The Toronto Raptors star broke the middle finger on his left hand during the first half of a 120-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

The Raptors announced the newest update that Barnes will be out indefinitely. The surgery on his finger was successful. He has no timeline to return despite the successful operation.

He left the game in the second quarter and did not return, finishing with 10 points and six rebounds in 16 minutes. That ended his career-high streak of five straight double-doubles.

Barnes had not missed any games this season before this hand injury. He was named to his first All-Star game this season. He won Rookie of the Year in 2021-22 and has emerged as the cornerstone of the franchise for the Raptors.

He is averaging 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game this season. He leads Toronto in scoring, not counting RJ Barrett, who joined the team in January.

Kelly Olynyk started in place of Barnes when he missed the game on Sunday. The Raptors beat the Charlotte Hornets 111-106 without Barnes.

Can the Toronto Raptors make the playoffs without Scottie Barnes?

The Raptors figure to struggle without their young star Scottie Barnes. RJ Barrett will have to carry more of the load. He is averaging 20.8 ppg since arriving in his home nation north of the border.

The Raptors (23-38) are 11th in the East standings. They are 3.5 games back of the 10th spot, which is the last play-in seed.

With a month to play in the season, the Raptors' chances of making the postseason are slim. They have next to no chance of making the playoffs in the top six guaranteed spots. The franchise could take Scottie Barnes’ injury as a chance to shut things down and tank the rest of the season for a better draft pick.

The team is in clear rebuild mode. They traded two of their stars in OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam this season in a clear move toward the future. If Scottie Barnes cannot return soon, the Raptors will likely play more of their reserve players and not push for the postseason.

The Brooklyn Nets are ahead of the Raptors and are more likely to keep pushing for the final play-in spots. The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks did not make any big trades and kept their rosters intact at the deadline. Therefore, both teams will also likely push for those final play-in spots as well make things more difficult for Toronto.