Getty RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks gestures against the Washington Wizards.
The New York Knicks may have just endured their 16th postseason-less campaign since the 2000-01 campaign, but there’s still quite a bit of optimism for the future of the franchise, and a big reason why is because of the presence of young star wing RJ Barrett.
Since being selected third overall back in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Duke product has seemingly gone on to improve his overall game with every passing season.
Just this past year, Barrett saw himself posting career-highs in numerous statistical categories, finishing things off by averaging 20 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3 assists through 70 games played.
To the vast majority of Knicks fans, the 22-year-old is seen as a key building block for the club moving forward.
However, just recently the young stud was absolutely thrashed on the podcast “Hoop Concessions”, as a video went viral where one of the hosts, named Bino, went on to label Barret as a mere “role player.”
“You can see the potential, but I’m just telling y’all he’s not reaching that,” Bino said. “He can’t make layups, he is a fake shooter, those catch-and-shoot threes don’t move me, he doesn’t really have any scoring gravity bro. Like, he’s a fake playmaker. Yea, his defense is solid bro [but] he’s a role player.”
In response, Barrett headed to the comments section of the viral thread and shared his feelings on the slanderous comments with one single emoji.
Knicks Need Someone Else to Draw Players
It goes without saying that RJ Barrett is an incredibly skilled player who, through three seasons in the NBA, has earned the right of being considered the top young prospect on New York’s roster.
That said, even with this reputation, former NBA journeyman Richard Jefferson believes that the Knicks still need someone else to help the franchise become a major draw for stars looking for a change of scenery, and he told the “Bad Weather Fans” podcast in an August 11 episode that while Barrett may not yet be that player, their top-rumored trade target Donovan Mitchell is.
“No one’s going to come to New York to play, [currently] right now, with RJ Barrett,” Jefferson said. “People will go play with Donovan Mitchell. People will be like ‘oh if he’s there, ok. Listen, I’ll go team up with that guy!’”
An August 16 report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Tony Jones has stated that the Knicks and Jazz have re-entered trade negotiations revolving around Mitchell, and it is believed that the perennial All-Star is eager to be dealt to New York.
Barrett Has Improved as a Playmaker
Despite what the folks at “Hoop Concessions” may say, slowly but surely RJ Barrett has managed to improve as a playmaker throughout his professional career thus far.
In year three, the wing went on to drop 3 assists per game and even bumped it up to 3.9 during the final 21 games of the regular season, all while cutting down his turnover rate by 9.9 percent.
If he can continue to improve in this area of his game, a max-contract extension will almost certainly be waiting right around the corner for the Maple Mamba.
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