NY Knicks: The Meteoric Rise of RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett’s mid-range game can be a weapon for the NY Knicks one day.

The mid-range is an area that Barrett has struggled with, he’s shooting just 36% from here on the season, while that is a stark improvement on his dismal 27.1% from his rookie year – per NBA stats, it’s still subpar.

Players like Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram, and Demar DeRozan live in the mid-range – each ranked in the top 20 in the league for mid-range attempts and also rank in the top 15 in FG% from this area.

An effective mid-range game is a key requirement to becoming a three-level scorer, and the threat alone of a player being able to pull-up from 10ft opens up a ton of opportunities on offense.

It’s why I’d love to see RJ adding this to his offensive arsenal. The tools are there, there’s no doubt.

I mean look at how smooth this mid-range fadeaway jumper is below. But whether he can become efficient from mid-range, well, we’ll just have to see…

RJ clearly has all the talent in the world. If he can put it all together on a consistent basis, he genuinely has the chance at becoming one of the premier three-level scorers in the league and that is a heck of an exciting prospect.

• Side Note: Not only is he getting the job done on the offensive end, but his defensive improvements have also been just as special.

In conclusion, it’s clear that Barrett’s star is on the rise as he begins to realize the potential which saw him drafted third overall by the Knicks a year ago.

With the level he has been playing basketball at this season it’s sometimes hard to believe that he’s still just 20 years old and in his second season. The sky is the limit for RJ and Knick fans will have the luxury of watching his ascent for years to come.