New York Knicks: 4 promising takeaways from the preseason

2) RJ Barrett’s Mid-Range Jumpshot

RJ Barrett performed admirably in the preseason, starting every game while averaging 17.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 50.9% shooting. While it seems likely that he’s taking the sophomore leap that many expected, his most impressive stat was his 86.6% free throw percentage.

Barrett is at his best when bullying smaller guards in the paint, drawing contact, and finishing at the rim. However, his rough 61% free throw mark as a rookie hurt his potential as a scorer. It’s refreshing to see him make a leap there.

He’s also developed a mid-range jumper that he’s used throughout the preseason, using the threat of him driving to the rim in order to create space to hit shots from just inside the arc. Barrett has knocked them down both off the dribble as well as fading away from the basket.

In his rookie season, he shot just 27% on mid-range jumpers as they were barely a factor of his offense. While the philosophy of shooting strictly three-pointers and layups is taking the league by storm, there is still a place for pull-up jump shots in the modern NBA.

Despite his proficiency inside the arc, he’s only hit 2 of his 16 attempts from three so far. It’s extremely unlikely that he’ll continue shooting just 13% in the regular season, showing that there’s even more room for his scoring totals to increase.

Barrett is the most exciting 20-year old the Knicks have had in a while.