Knicks: Why not just run the offense through RJ Barrett?
By Adam Kester
Why RJ Barrett might be the best answer to the New York Knicks’ playmaking issues.
This NBA season is filled with question marks for the New York Knicks. They are one of the youngest teams in the league and are coming off of a season where they finished 12th in the Eastern Conference. Expectations are low.
This is the first season under both the new front office headed by Leon Rose and the coaching staff lead by Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks are looking to emerge from what has seemed like an endless abyss of directionless management.
What would a successful season look like for the New York Knicks?
New York wants to change the perception that they are a losing organization. For a team that won’t be able to attract a superstar player, you have to start within your own house. That means developing homegrown talent.
The Knicks roster is loaded with recent draft picks, and so far, it hasn’t yielded any results in the win column. While there have been stretches of promising play from these prospects, there hasn’t been anything consistent where Knicks fans can confidently say their team has found a future franchise player.
Expectations have already been tempered for former lottery picks Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina. The same can’t be said for last year’s 3rd overall pick RJ Barrett, who many believe can be a star-caliber player.
After a slow start from starting point guard Elfrid Payton, Knicks fans are already searching for a replacement. Sure, Immanuel Quickley will eventually return from injury, but he can’t play all 48 minutes. How will the Knicks solve their playmaking issues? Perhaps by looking to RJ Barrett.