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Knicks: Predicting how RJ Barrett’s 2021 season will look

By Zachary Bachar

Mar 8, 2020; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Thon Maker (7) and forward Tony Snell (17)during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2020; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Thon Maker (7) and forward Tony Snell (17)during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 27, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) passes the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

RJ Barrett: Shooting

Poor shooting was the main problem for RJ Barrett in his rookie year. His jump shot was a question mark before the 2019 NBA Draft, and it still remains one. Could he take a leap forward?

Field Goal Percentage

Barrett’s rookie mark of 40.2% looks lousy, but it needs context. As previously examined, he performs at his highest when getting to the rim. The Knicks had notoriously poor spacing last year, often leading to defenses packing driving lanes so that the rookie crashed into numerous defenders on every foray into the paint.

After Marcus Morris was traded, the starting lineup around Barrett didn’t have any player shooting over 30% from three. The rookie had a hard time finishing over the multiple defenders that teams threw at him on every drive, leading to a poor field goal percentage.

With an abundance of capable shooters added through free agency (Alec Burks, Austin Rivers) and the draft (Immanuel Quickley), the floor should open up a little around Barrett and allow him to work in space.

His expected higher volume of shot attempts likely won’t help his field goal percentage skyrocket, but it should see a slight bump in efficiency.

Three-Point Percentage

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Barrett’s game is how his jumper is going to look after 9 months off. While his shooting form isn’t ugly by any means, he just couldn’t find any consistency from long range.

He still has the potential to be a serviceable threat from behind the arc as evidenced by his 63 made threes in 56 games, proving that his shot isn’t completely broken.

He could become an above-average shooter as he enters his prime, but it doesn’t seem like something that’s going to be completely fixed in one offseason. His three-point percentage should increase, but not by much.

Free-Throw Percentage

Contrary to his deficiencies from three, RJ Barrett should make strides in his shooting from the charity stripe. His deep shot fluctuated throughout the year, but his free-throw shooting steadily increased and it serves as an indicator that he’ll make a large jump this season.

For the 2019 portion of his rookie year, Barrett shot a ghastly 55% on free throws. In the 2020 portion, that number increased all the way up to 68%. This includes RJ hitting 21 of his last 26 free throws, good for 81%.

He almost certainly won’t be an 80% free-throw shooter next year, but his final mark should look much better than the 61% he recorded as a rookie.

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