New York Knicks: Tom Thibodeau called out RJ Barrett

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau just called RJ Barrett out for lack of work ethic after the Knicks ugly 113-99 loss, where Barrett’s horrendous shooting slump continues.

If you know me or even read these articles frequently enough, you know I will even make jokes at this point that almost half the New York Knicks topics I cover relate to RJ Barrett, so writing this one is somewhat bitter-sweet.

New York Knicks: RJ Barrett’s 2021-22 season

Barrett has done nothing but show huge potential for what the 21-year-old Canadian wing could one day become and go into atrocious shooting slumps once per season.  e has entered a shooting slump, and wow, is this bad.

Over November, RJ averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds on 36% shooting from the field and 29% from three. I’m trying very hard to find a positive spin, but I’m coming up empty.

Coach Tom Thibodeau has seen this go on for long enough as he commented on Barrett’s slump, saying “last year he got going when he started coming in every night to shoot” then saying that Barrett can’t only do that sometimes, he has to do it “all the time.”

Thibs finished this off by giving some tough love saying, “When you [shot every night], you ended up shooting 40 from three, so get back in the gym.”

I’d bet a whole lot of money that Barrett is spending tonight, and whatever night you’re reading this in the Knicks practice facility in Tarrytown, perfecting his jump shot.

Through the first 1/4th of the season, Barrett has been disappointing. There was a six-game stretch where we saw what Prime RJ Barrett could look like, and it was a wonderful sight.

I have good news for those who want to see more of the player that Barrett was, a player who I thought could become a first scoring option in New York.

RJ has struggled at the beginning of seasons before. This is not the first time he’s hit horrible slumps early into a new season.

Last season saw Barrett average 18 points on 43% shooting from the field and 28% from three in his first 21 games of the year. Those 21 games also saw Barrett miss 21 straight threes.

Even after averaging 27% from three through almost a third of last season, he finished the year as a 40% shooter from deep. He can 100% bounce back, but as Thibs says, he’ll have to put the work in.

One thing highly documented about RJ Barrett is he has a crazy work ethic.  So it’s very believable that pretty soon, Barrett will break out of his shooting slump.