NY Knicks: The “Win-at-all-costs” mindset of RJ Barrett

NY Knicks: RJ Barrett is already a leader

We can continue to rave about RJ Barrett’s recent performances on the court. His increased field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free-throw percentages, passing – His statistical output has been more than what anyone could have asked for. There are plenty of bright young players in the NBA, but not all of them have the mindset of RJ Barrett.

Barrett’s commitment to doing the extra work – Battling in the trenches, rotating on defense, playing within Thibodeau’s system – It’s helped the Knicks grow as a team and accelerate their rebuild. No matter how talented you are, you can’t teach that kind of team-first/win-at-all-costs mentality that Barrett has.

You may think every star player has an impact in every area of the game, but it isn’t always the case. There are plenty of high-level scorers who are a net-negative in other areas of the game. They may score 30 points, but they can blow defensive assignments. They may statistically seem like a positive player, but they aren’t effectively committing to the aspects of basketball that lead to wins, the things that don’t show up in the box score. You don’t have to worry about that with Barrett.

So while basketball fans and analysts can be impressed with RJ Barrett’s statistical jump and the Knicks’ success, they can also be awed by his dedication to his craft. RJ Barrett is everything the city of New York could want in a homegrown star. In Rowan Alexander Barrett Jr. we trust.