Con: Clashing Stylistically
DeMar DeRozan is one of the better offensive shooting guards in the NBA. He may not shoot the three-ball, but he has an excellent midrange game, finishes creatively at the rim, and is one of the better passers at the position.
Being that his skillset mirrors that of rising star RJ Barrett, however, one can see how he would clash with the player whom the New York Knicks are building around.
Much like DeRozan, Barrett’s game is all about getting downhill. That requires spacing and patience, as the 19-year-old must be trusted to make the right decisions once he breaks the first defender down—whether that be as a scorer or distributor.
It’s possible that DeRozan could teach Barrett a thing or two about operating from midrange and finishing at the rim, but it’s also conceivable that he could inadvertently stunt his growth.
New York took the ball out of its young players’ hands for the better part of 2019-20. There are certainly other factors to consider, but it’s easy to see how doing so led the up-and-comers on the roster to either regress or stagnate without the opportunity to learn with the ball in their hands.
That may not be a risk worth taking with Barrett, who looks to be the best offensive prospect on the roster.
It’s an even tougher sell when you consider that DeRozan had a poor experience with this type of pairing when he teamed with Rudy Gay in Toronto.