NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 2: RJ Barrett of New York Knicks warms up before the NBA match between Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, United States on April 2, 2022. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
3 reasons why Knicks’ RJ Barrett will be an All-Star in 2022-23
RJ Barrett, New York Knicks. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/USA TODAY Sports)
3. Knowing he’s the first option will mean easier buckets
People don’t give RJ Barrett enough credit for what he had to endure in 2021-22. Fresh off a playoff berth in 2021, Julius Randle was THE MAN heading into the new season and Barrett was supposed to be the second fiddle.
But Randle had a horrendous season.
On the court, Randle saw his numbers drop in points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, steals per game, and field goal and three-point percentage.
In Madison Square Garden, he became public enemy number one, memorably for mouthing off to Knicks fans after a tough bucket. And off the court, his image suffered because of it, at least in how fans perceived him.
Of course, I’m not here to judge a man’s characteristics or anything of that nature, but it’s clear that Randle’s bad play correlated to how Knicks fans viewed his attitude.
Through all of this, Barrett started to become more and more involved in the offense. However, that’s a tough spot to be in, knowing how much more it increasingly seems that you’re about to take over as the go-to scorer, but not in a seamless transition.
Heading into next season, it seems like a fair bet that Barrett is going to be the number one option. That should take an anxious load off his shoulders, which should in turn help his confidence. And confidence means better efficiency, which in turn means more points.
It’s a domino effect and it seems like a sure thing that Barrett will be in for a much better year from the field.
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brought to the Knicks for all of those reasons</a> and more, and it should have a direct impact on RJ Barrett.</p>
<p>Sure, they might need some time to get used to each other, but the thought of pairing Barrett with a point guard like Brunson leads me to believe it could help springboard Barrett into a more complete player.</p>
<p>For one, it takes the ball out of Barrett’s hands and allows him to free up without the ball, where he can excel as a slasher.</p>
<p>Brunson also provides scoring, which in turn draws defenses to him more than other point guards who lack an offensive game. That means kickouts for three-pointers – a part of Barrett’s game that still needs more consistency. That’s a great way to start getting him more open buckets and confidence to knock down those shots.</p>
<p>If RJ Barrett can play well alongside Brunson, it should make him a better basketball player in the end. And heading into year four, that could end up in an All-Star Game appearance.</p>
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