The Knicks need to make RJ Barrett their first scoring option
The time has come where the New York Knicks have to make 2019 first-round draft pick RJ Barrett their primary scoring option.
I speculated on this four months ago, wondering if Barrett WOULD become the first option. Around a month and a half ago, I then speculated if Barrett SHOULD be the first option.
Well, this trilogy is now coming to an end with me saying Barrett has to become the first option for the Knicks.
I’ve been on the Barrett bandwagon since he was the point guard at Montverde Academy and the number one recruit in the nation in 2018. I’ve been saying for years that he has “franchise player” written all over him.
I’m not the only person who thinks this. Many New York fans, along with Jimmy Butler, who Barrett dropped a career-high 46 points on last Friday, said the 22-year-old is going to be the face of the Knicks.
Why should RJ Barrett be the New York Knicks’ first scoring option?
Basically, every time Barrett gets on a roll, he does something historic to put him on a list with players that are NBA All-Stars. Well, the average of 29 points per game run that he was on from Feb. 2 to Feb. 25 is a perfect example of one of those times.
Over his last 5 games,
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) February 27, 2022
RJ Barrett is averaging:
29.2 points,
6.0 rebs,
3.2 made 3PTs
He is just the seventh player in NBA history age 21 or younger to avg at least 29/6/3 over a five-game span
The other six:
LeBron, KD, Tatum, D Book, Trae Young and Lukahttps://t.co/Pv4MdJ3NsB
The Knicks have been giving Barrett the ball more and more. His usage rate has steadily climbed every month this season and in February his rate was 29.2%, which tied De’Aaron Fox for the 16th highest in the league.
Everyone ahead of Barrett, outside of four players, has been named to an All-Star game, while three of them have won All-Star MVP.
Barrett’s play has been great despite New York’s numerous struggles to succeed. The Knicks hold the seventh-worst record since the start of 2022.
This season is probably not going to turn around. Nobody outside of Barrett and Mitchell Robinson have improved since last season. There is zero consistency, and the rotation has far too many wings, which has resulted in Cam Reddish not playing even though the Knicks recently traded for him.
New York should still try to win games, but with Kemba Walker’s season (along with his Knicks career) being a thing of the past, they should use this time to place younger guys around Barrett.
Barrett should be the first option from now on. If this happens soon in what has turned out to be an abysmal season, there’s a better chance that he’ll be ready to lead beginning next year. This team is built for the future, and it’s time to make Barrett the captain of this ship.
