RJ Barrett, New York Knicks. (Photo by Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports)
1. A jump in consistency
The biggest thing that has held Barrett back since he was drafted has been consistency. It’s always seemed like one week, Barrett looks like he’s on the verge of becoming a star, and another, he looks like he shouldn’t even be in the rotation.
With the Knicks’ improved spacing and the fact he’ll have a full season’s worth of chemistry with Jalen Brunson under his belt, fans hope Barrett can finally become a consistent third option for the Knicks.
Quite frankly, Barrett has to make this jump. If not, Leon Rose could be less patient with the 23-year-old and look to include him in a trade package for a star player. The Knicks could have a championship window open in the next couple of years, and the team can’t waste time hoping Barrett will become a third option.
Despite this, fans should be confident in Barrett. His 2022-23 numbers and how he’s been playing at the World Cup show he could be ready to make the jump. For example, despite the decrease in three-point percentage, Barrett saw a near 5% increase in efficiency from the paint and a 10% increase from the 3-10 foot range. He shot 43.4% from the field, compared to his rate of 40.8% in 2021-22.
It would be nice to see Barrett develop a mid-range game, but he has made few improvements in that area, and the track record for young players who struggle early on from the mid-range isn’t good. However, plenty of guys dominate by attacking the basket and hitting threes. Barrett can do one of those things at a high rate, but he has to find his shot again.
If Barrett becomes a good three-point shooter again, he will make this leap. His efficiency from most spots on the floor has consistently improved every year, aside from three-point range. This has held him back the most, and if he can find his fire again, the Knicks’ spacing and overall offensive efficiency will drastically improve.
the player he was destined to be</a>.</p>
<h2>3 things New York Knicks fans can expect from RJ Barrett in 2023-24</h2>
<h3>3. Increased three-point percentage</h3>
<p>Last season, Barrett took another step back from beyond the arc. In 2020-21, Barrett hit 40.1% of his threes while taking 4.3 per game. For a second-year player, that was pretty exceptional, and it was looking like Barrett could have developed into one of the better 3-and-D wings in the NBA.</p>
<p>However, since that season, Barrett has fallen apart from the three-point line, hurting the Knicks’ offense.</p>
<p>Overall, Barrett did see an increase in efficiency last season, but from beyond the arc, he was almost useless. In 73 games, Barrett made 31.0% of his threes while taking 5.3 per game, a near 10% decrease compared to two seasons ago. Regardless, fans should be confident Barrett can bounce back well in the 2023-24 season.</p>
<p>Throughout the World Cup, Barrett has<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/30/3-things-knicks-fans-expect-rj-barrett-2023-24-season/3/"https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/29/knicks-rj-barrett-helps-push-canada-uncharted-world-cup-territory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> looked much more confident</a> and better offensively. This is partly due to his tweaked jump shot, which looks similar to his form from the 2020-21 season. It’s been great to see Barrett make changes to his game for the betterment of the team.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">RJ Barrett vs Latvia highlights. 22 points and 5 rebounds on 9-14 shooting. Canada finishes the group stage 3-0</p>
<p> <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/30/3-things-knicks-fans-expect-rj-barrett-2023-24-season/3/"https://t.co/S1DNLw8DSC">pic.twitter.com/S1DNLw8DSC
<p>— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/30/3-things-knicks-fans-expect-rj-barrett-2023-24-season/3/"https://twitter.com/IQfor3/status/1696549141822759016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 29, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/30/3-things-knicks-fans-expect-rj-barrett-2023-24-season/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>Even if it doesn’t translate as well as it could, Barrett can fix his percentages by taking fewer threes and focusing more on getting to the rim. This will open up opportunities for other players and help make the offense more fluid.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/30/3-things-knicks-fans-expect-rj-barrett-2023-24-season/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Expect Thibs to use Barrett a little differently </a>
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in a trade package for a star player</a>. The Knicks could have a championship window open in the next couple of years, and the team can’t waste time hoping Barrett will become a third option.</p>
<p>Despite this, fans should be confident in Barrett. His 2022-23 numbers and how he’s been playing at the World Cup show he could be ready to make the jump. For example, despite the decrease in three-point percentage, Barrett saw a near 5% increase in efficiency from the paint and a 10% increase from the 3-10 foot range. He shot 43.4% from the field, compared to his rate of 40.8% in 2021-22.</p>
<p>It would be nice to see Barrett develop a mid-range game, but he has made few improvements in that area, and the track record for young players who struggle early on from the mid-range isn’t good. However, plenty of guys dominate by attacking the basket and hitting threes. Barrett can do one of those things at a high rate, but he has to find his shot again.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Based on mid range data of active players, it seems very uncommon to develop into an elite/above-average volume mid range scorer if you're not hitting ~40% by your third season</p>
<p>I think we probably place unrealistic expectations on some guys to have outlier mid range development</p>
<p>— AlexHoops (@AlexHoops_) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/30/3-things-knicks-fans-expect-rj-barrett-2023-24-season/3/"https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_/status/1695179066725249381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 25, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>If Barrett becomes a good three-point shooter again, he will make this leap. His efficiency from most spots on the floor has consistently improved every year, aside from three-point range. This has held him back the most, and if he can find his fire again, the Knicks’ spacing and overall offensive efficiency will drastically improve.</p>
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