New York Knicks: RJ Barrett can cement himself as an NBA rising star
By Adam Kester
Amidst what has been a remarkably disappointing and disheartening New York Knicks season, 21-year-old RJ Barrett has been an exciting bright spot.
A polarizing and divisive NBA prospect among talent evaluators, Barrett’s play has been nothing short of outstanding in 2022.
New York Knicks: Where does RJ Barrett currently stack up?
What’s most incredible about where RJ Barrett currently stands is how poorly he started this season.
Barrett had one of the worst months of his young career in November — In 15 games, he averaged just 12.8 points per game on 36.3% from the field and 29.2% from three.
In what has statistically been an up and down NBA career, with his numbers and metrics often offering little insight into reflecting high-end potential, Barrett has done a complete 180 in 2022.
In 19 games in 2022, Barrett has put up fringe All-Star numbers:
- 22.5 points
- 42.5% FG
- 39.5% 3ptFG
- 5.8 rebounds
- 3.3 assists
It’s a string of consistency that spans just about a quarter of an NBA season.
Is this the “RJ Barrett has arrived” moment?
There are some changes and evolutions in his recent game that certainly seem to indicate that there is a budding star on our hands.