With RJ Barrett Out, Who Is The Dark Horse For More Playing Time?

With RJ Barrett suffering a right ankle sprain against the Phoenix Suns, who’s in line to fill the rookies shoes?

With RJ Barrett out for at least the next week with a sprained ankle, the Knicks now find themselves with a large gap in their rotation. Barrett currently ranks 15th amongst shooting guards in minutes per game averaging 31 minutes a contest. While not all 31 minutes will go to one player there is one Knick I believe deserves a large boost in playing time while the rookie remains out.

Kadeem Allen

There’s little question about what Kadeem Allen can contribute on the court, Allen’s problem has been seeing the court. The third-year guard from Arizona has played sparingly in his two year tenure with the Knicks, but when he does see the court his potential is clear. With RJ Barrett nursing a sprained ankle, an injury that can hold a player out for several weeks, Allen has the chance to prove he belongs in the Knicks’ rotation.

In 2018 Allen saw his most playing time, averaging 21.9 minutes a night in 19 games for New York. In that time Allen would average 9.9 points and 4.4 assists per game. While in a dark time for the Knicks, Allen’s shooting shined.

Allen’s 46.1 field goal percentage would have ranked tenth amongst shooting guards and his 47.2% from deep would’ve placed second across the entire league behind Joe Harris. His Per 36 numbers are just as impressive.

Kadeem Allen 2018 Per 36 Minutes

16.4 Points, 6.6 Assist, 4.4 Rebounds, 1.4 Steals

With the Knicks’ busy off-season and an influx of new players, Allen’s spot on the totem pole plummeted. The 6’1 guard has only played in 9 games this season, including 5 where he received less than 6 minutes. However, Allen has made the most of the time he has received.

Allen has only received more than 15 minutes 4 times this season, but in 3 of those games he scored at least 9 points and in 2 he contributed 6 assists. Including a 125-122 upset over the Eastern Conference’s second ranked Miami Heat where Allen shot 57.1% from the floor,  scoring 10 points and dishing out 2 assists.

Despite a drop in playing time from 2018, Allen’s per 36 minutes numbers still show the impact he would be able to bring to the Knicks if he receives more playing time.

Kadeem Allen 2019 Per 36 Minutes

16.5 Points, 7.1 Assist, 3 Rebounds , 1.5 Steals

Every NBA team will say this after any injury, “next man up.” Kadeem Allen has a chance to be that player will RJ Barrett is sidelined, and history shows Allen wouldn’t disappoint if given the chance.