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New York Knicks: 3 Ways RJ Barrett can break out of his slump

By Zachary Bachar

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 30: RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks stands on the court during a NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on October 30, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 30: RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks stands on the court during a NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on October 30, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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RJ Barrett, New York Knicks. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

New York Knicks: RJ Barret must Get to the free-throw line, not blocked

With the NBA instituting new rule changes to eliminate players initiating contact to draw fouls, it isn’t a surprise to see most players taking fewer free throws than they did in past seasons. With that being said, it’s a worrying sign that Barrett’s free throw attempts per game numbers have declined each year he’s been in the league.

While this has to do with his fewer rim attempts, it also concerns the quality of those rim attempts.

Last season, Barrett got his shot blocked around 1.19 times per game while averaging 11.8 drives per game. That means he got blocked around once every 9.9 drives. This season, Barrett is getting his shot blocked 1.35 times per game while averaging 7.8 drives per game. That means he’s now getting blocked once every 5.8 drives.

In short, every time Barrett drives towards the bucket there’s nearly a 20% chance that he’s going to get blocked. While this isn’t a perfect method as he may have gotten blocked on a few jump shots, it still shows that Barrett needs to improve his ability to get into the body of a defender and finish through them or get to the line instead of getting blocked by a defender.

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