Canada coach Jordi Fernández was left impressed with New York Knicks forward RJ Barrett‘s play in their Europe camp as part of their buildup for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Barrett scored 31 points on an efficient 13-of-14 shooting to lift Canada to a thrilling 113-112 revenge win over Germany in overtime to capture the Basketball Super Cup title.
“Overall, [Barrett] was outstanding. Very efficient offensively,” Fernández said via Canada Basketball. “He’s been very clean with his decision-making, running the floor and attacking the paint, so this is exactly what we needed from him. This is exactly the production we want.”
The 23-year-old Barrett sent the game into overtime with a layup in the final 10 seconds of the regulation. He completed his heroics by scoring five more in the overtime, including Canada’s last two baskets to fend off Germany’s late rally.
It was a payback win for Canada after losing their first meeting 86-81 last week.
“Obviously, we lost the first game against them, and they’ve been a very good program for a long time, so to get a win like that and the hostile environment was huge for us,” Barrett said via Canada Basketball.
Barrett has emerged as Canada’s leading scorer through three exhibition games, averaging 18 points per game on a ridiculous 68.8% shooting clip.
The 2019 No. 3 pick believes Canada took a big step with two more warmup games left in their schedule before they head to Jakarta, Indonesia for the group stages of the World Cup.
“It’s exciting. We’re nowhere near close to where we want to be right now. But today was a big step, and we just got to keep getting better every day,” Barrett said.
Canada will wrap up their preparation with a big match against defending FIBA World Cup champion Spain on August 17 and the Karl-Anthony Towns-led Dominican Republic on August 18.
Jalen Brunson Flawless in Team USA Win
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson followed up Barrett’s big game with a perfect shooting night for Team USA as they took down Spain 98-88 to remain unbeaten in three warmup games.
Brunson shot a flawless 10-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-2 from downtown. He also added five assists and two rebounds in another sensational performance running the show for the Americans.
Brunson and Team USA will complete their five-game exhibition slate in the United Arab Emirates, where they will face the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Greece on August 18 and Germany on August 20.
Mock Trade Sends Joel Embiid to Knicks
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a mock trade that would land the Knicks their coveted star in reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
The proposed trade:
New York Knicks receive: Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers receive: RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected, via WAS), 2025 first-round pick (top-four protected, via MIL), 2026 first-round pick
The mock trade would leave the Knicks with a Big 3 of Brunson, Julius Randle and Embiid surrounded by a supporting cast of Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Miles McBride and Isaiah Hartenstein.
“While the Knicks have assembled a rock-solid squad, they still seem a superstar short of championship contention. Embiid, the reigning MVP and back-to-back scoring champ, scratches that itch as well (or better) than any remotely realistically available trade target,” Buckley wrote.
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Knicks’ RJ Barrett Draws Praise From Canada Coach