Getty Ja Morant was picked just ahead of RJ Barrett.
In the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant went numbers one and two respectively before the New York Knicks drafted RJ Barrett with the third overall pick.
Williamson and Morant both signed max extensions with their teams while Barrett settled for a smaller deal at just over $100 million over four years. Ultimately, each of those players will be leading their franchises for seasons to come, but Barrett’s timeline is slightly behind the two.
Both Morant and Williamson have been named to All-Star teams already in their careers, but Barrett is close after averaging 20 points per game last season.
Before the season, Barrett was asked if he feels extra motivation going against Morant. The question comes as the Knicks get ready to face off against the Grizzlies in their season opener.
Barrett Sounds Off
Does RJ Barrett feel extra motivation in playing Ja Morant, who was selected right ahead of him in the 2019 NBA Draft?
“I’m always trying to prove myself, so the motivation of that – everyone is trying to be the best”
Barrett is somebody who seems like he carries a chip on his shoulder, as evidenced by his comments about his draft class, but he did downplay going against Morant directly.
“Obviously, he’s a really good player,” he said about Morant. “There’s like a lot of good players in the league.”
He then talked about how he’s always trying to make a name for himself. Although he was drafted third overall, he doesn’t capture the attention of the league in a way Williamson, Morant or even Herro does.
“I’m always trying to prove myself, so the motivation of that – everyone is trying to be the best.”
To his credit, Barrett is playing the role the Knicks have set out for him, so it’s not like he’s been a disappointment or anything like that. Barrett has gotten better each year in his career, so an All-Star appearance isn’t too far off for him if that continues into this year. That will become abundantly clear if he keeps up his near-50 percent shooting from the preseason.
Knicks Getting Ready
There have been a lot of encouraging signs for the Knicks this preseason, but it also important to know none of those games count in the long run.
Despite that, Barrett’s shooting has been nice to see, Julius Randle looks like a much improved player, and Jalen Brunson is somebody who looks like they’ll fit right in running the show.
His playmaking has been on display in the preseason, and he’s also shown some of the scoring prowess that the Knicks signed him for. There’s no question this is a team that’s much improved from last year, but even that might not be enough to get the team into the playoffs.
The Eastern Conference is as deep as it’s ever been, but all the Knicks have to do is be better than just five of the teams, and that does seem to be quite doable for the squad.
On paper, the Knicks have one of the deepest rosters in the league, but they lack the superstar that the championship contender teams have. They could’ve gotten close to that by acquiring Donovan Mitchell, but he was eventually traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.