NY Knicks: Why RJ Barrett should be the 2nd scoring option

NY Knicks: Barrett’s Major Breakout Potential

It’s no secret that RJ Barrett’s potential is incredibly high. A notoriously hard worker who was ranked above teammate Zion Williamson headed into their year at Duke University, Barrett has always had the potential of a first overall pick.

Barrett definitely can have a breakout season similar to Jimmy Butler or Paul George, and then he will probably see an increased workload as the season continues.

I never get tired of telling people that going from 32% from three to 40% in one season is absurd, and it shows how willing Barrett is to turn his weakest points into his strengths.

Barrett has been criminally underrated since the second the Knicks drafted him. The hype surrounding him disappeared when he was not instantly a superstar on an atrocious Knicks team.

Barrett has put himself in a class of only superstars though. His averages as a 20-year-old put him in a very exclusive class.

Magic Johnson is a Hall of Famer, and LeBron James is going to the Hall of Fame unanimously and is also the best player of all time if you ask this writer.

Also, getting compared to two of the top young players in this league is nice to see. Both have had All-Time great starts, with Luka Doncic’s MVP-level success since his sophomore season and Williamson becoming an NBA All-Star his first full season without injury.

Though Barrett was not a second-year all-star like Williamson and Doncic, it feels like he can break through to the all-star level any day now. Losing the freedom he has as the second option can delay RJ fully breaking out.

The Knicks are not contenders for the Finals, and letting a 21-year-old have some growing pains throughout the season does not hurt, especially when you still have offensive talent on the roster to help him out.