Getty RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks reacts in the first half against the Indiana Pacers.
Directly after agreeing to sign a lucrative four-year, $120 million extension with the New York Knicks last summer, RJ Barrett went on to post an incredibly polarizing 2022-23 campaign.
Though his on-paper numbers of 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists suggest quality efforts, a deeper dive into his averages show excruciating inefficiency, as he shot just 43.4 percent from the field, 31.0 percent from deep and boasted a box plus-minus of -3.1, registering in as the only negative rank among the team’s full-time starters.
Now heading into year five with the Knicks, fans are hoping to finally see the promise Barrett was viewed as possessing when coming into the association as the third overall selection back in 2019. And while the ideal turnout for some would be an All-Star nod in 2023-24, The Athletic’s Fred Katz recently gave the wing’s “best-case scenario” somewhat of a reality check.
“Barrett’s game would transform into something more resembling what he was during that eight-game playoff run when he was a headier ballhandler and improved defender. The 3-point percent jumps to something in the mid-30s. Maybe he becomes a little quicker, too, which helps him get to the rim more or stay in front of dribblers on the other end,” Katz wrote in a recent piece.
🇨🇦 THE CANADIANS 🇨🇦
RJ Barrett | vs. Miami (Game 5)
26 POINTS
7 REBOUNDS
3 THREE POINTERS
2 ASSISTS
1 BLOCK
The eight games Katz is referring to took place from April 21 through May 10, spanning from mid-way through the Knicks’ first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers to late into their second-round matchup against the Miami Heat.
During this stretch, the 23-year-old would find himself posting impressive per-game averages of 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on a highly efficient 49.6 percent shooting from the field and 38.0 percent from deep on 6.3 attempts per outing.
New York would sport a record of 5-3 during this time span.
Knicks’ RJ Barrett One of Most ‘Overrated’ Players in NBA
As noted, RJ Barret has yet to fully live up to the hype that came with him into the association when being taken as a top-three selection in the prestigious NBA Draft.
And while his 2022-23 run was rather underwhelming, to Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, it was simply just the most recent example of his pedigree not matching up with on-court productivity, as he recently deemed the wing as the second most overrated player in the league from over the last five years.
“During his four seasons, only 15 players have logged more total minutes than Barrett, and that might actually contribute to his rank in points added by field-goal shooting, defined by Basketball Reference as ‘The number of extra points added by Field Goal Attempts made above league average.’ Without free throws, Barrett has scored 3,958 points on 4,157 shot attempts, or 503.4 fewer than a league-average shooter would have. The only player further below zero during his career is Russell Westbrook, who is obviously doing a lot more as a passer and rebounder than Barrett,” Bailey wrote.
Bailey would further his argument by delving deep into Barrett’s advanced metrics, highlighting his surprisingly poor plus-minus rating by pointing out that “the Knicks are minus-1.9 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor over his four seasons, compared to plus-3.9 without him.”
RJ Barrett Has a Fan in Team Canada’s Head Coach
Though his play in the NBA to this point has been oft scrutinized, when it comes to his production during the 2023 FIBA World Cup RJ Barrett has been receiving rave reviews.
Following Team Canada’s exhilarating win over Team Germany on August 13, coach Jordi Fernández praised the Knicks wing for his contributions that aided in their overtime triumph.
“Overall, [Barrett] was outstanding. Very efficient offensively,” Fernández said. “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.”
SGA and RJ Barrett showed out in Canada’s OT win. 🤩
During the outing, Barrett dropped a whopping 31 points on an astonishing 92 percent shooting. He would cash in on a clutch layup in the closing seconds to send the game into overtime, where Canada ultimately pulled out a thrilling 113-112 win over Germany.