2) RJ Barrett
When the ping pong balls didn’t bounce the Knicks way last spring, Knicks fans turned their disappointment into embracement for Canadian youngster RJ Barrett.
The “Maple Mamba” is averaging 14.3 points on 40.2 percent shooting, along with 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 steals during his rookie campaign. Not bad for counting statistics. Expanding into advanced numbers, his player efficiency rating (PER) ranks 11th of 18 rookies who played at least 1000 minutes this season.
Overall, he hasn’t been terrible, he hasn’t been great, he’s been good. Especially when you consider he is only 19 years-old. Did I mention only two of those 18 rookies in the ranking above were under twenty years of age?
The Knicks finished with the worst record in the NBA last year to earn their highest draft pick since Patrick Ewing and the frozen envelope. If the Knicks look to trade Barrett before he even finishes his second season in New York, what is the point?