New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett has pieced together a rookie season of two halves. We take a look at his most important games thus far.
When the New York Knicks selected RJ Barrett at No. 3 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, a general sense of optimism arose. Ja Morant and Zion Williamson were the prized prospects, but the consensus appeared to be that Barrett would be a respected NBA player.
Barrett has justified the hype during the 2019-20 season, playing at a level that should land him a spot on the All-Rookie First Team at year’s end.
It’s been the proverbial tale of two halves for Barrett—and, in many ways, a literal one, too. Over the course of his first 28 appearances, Barrett averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 three-point field goal made on a slash line of .389/.295/.543.
More from Daily Knicks
- Former New York Knicks center gets real about 2013 playoff shortcomings
- When is the deadline for the Knicks to extend Immanuel Quickley?
- 3 Rumored Knicks trade targets not worth giving up RJ Barrett for
- Bill Simmons ‘guarantees’ Knicks will have one of three stars by next year
- How to watch New York Knicks players compete for bronze at World Cup
In the 28 appearances that have since followed, Barrett has averaged 14.9 points on a drastically-improved slash line of .415/.343/.688.
Those averages are helped immensely by Barrett’s intriguing quality of play after the All-Star Break. Since All-Star Weekend, Barrett has managed to average 17.2 points on 45.2 percent shooting from the field.
He’s done so in just 30.2 minutes per game, which makes his ability to flirt with 20-point outings on a regular basis all the more impressive. It also may warrant the hype that he’s received as a future franchise cornerstone.
The question is: If the 2019-20 regular season were to end today, what would stand the test of time as the definitive performances from RJ Barrett during his rookie season with the New York Knicks?
It’s quite a list.