2) RJ Barrett’s Field Goal Percentage in the Restricted Area
One of the most encouraging things about RJ Barrett’s up-and-down rookie season was his consistent aggressiveness attacking the basket and getting to the rim. According to Cleaning The Glass, 48% of his shot attempts came at the rim, good for the 92nd percentile among wings. But, almost like Newton’s third law, for every positive aspect of Barrett’s game, there was an equal and opposite negative. His accuracy around the rim left much to be desired, landing him in the 22nd percentile among wing scorers.
Did some of that have to do with the utter lack of spacing surrounding Barrett his rookie year? Sure:
Arguing with a friend or coworker about RJ Barrett?
— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) August 14, 2020
Do they know the spacing in the lineups he was in was dead last in the NBA this year?
Find that fuel for analysis, along with our other contextual stats, all in his Player Profile.
For more info, go to https://t.co/3Xagb3XCzp pic.twitter.com/u3S8kRBavr
But, it’s not like the Knicks are exactly swimming in shooters this season, either. That’s why it was encouraging to see Barrett look so good during preseason where he connected on 17 of his 24 attempts in the restricted area (70.8%). Coming into year two, he looks stronger, more confident and seems to have improved his touch around the basket
This was one of my favorite finishes of RJ's so far. Hard cut, takes the bump from a big body in Jerami Grant, nice pump fake and finish with his right hand through contact. Also nice? Finding some space down low while Noel, Randle and Payton are on the floor together. pic.twitter.com/EYcm2QmjyK
— Tom Piccolo (@Tom_Piccolo) December 17, 2020
Perhaps just as important, Barrett has been running the floor and getting easy buckets before defenses have an opportunity to get set. As noted by Tommy Beer of Forbes, RJ led the Knicks this preseason with five fast break points per game, something he’ll need to continue once the games begin to matter.
Improving his accuracy at the rim is probably the easiest way for Barrett to increase his efficiency and his overall value as a player. Well, maybe second-easiest…