3 ways RJ Barrett succeeded in arduous battle to become face of Knicks
By Adam Kester
RJ Barrett’s rise in 2022
It wasn’t a great start for RJ Barrett this season. In fact, it was a really scary start. He had a horrific month of November where he looked lost.
Meshing with the other Knicks, including newcomer Evan Fournier, was a new challenge for him. It wasn’t just the numbers — he didn’t look comfortable.
And as Barrett got back on track in December, he still looked more like the “solid starter” caliber of player from last season. Then came the new year, and then came the next evolution of Barrett.
Since Jan. 1st, he’s averaged:
- 23.8 points per game
- 6.0 rebounds per game
- 3.8 assists per game
That’s in 28 games which is over a third of an NBA regular season. It’s a very long stretch of basketball.
A lot of Barrett’s success has come with his propensity to drive to the rim. While his finishing ability is still a work in progress (although it has improved year after year) there’s one part of his game that he’s always excelled at — actually getting to the rim.
Barrett’s leading the team with a whopping 15.8 drives per game in 2022. He averaged 8.2 drives per game from October to December.
Barrett’s strength, length, and ball control have always allowed him to get to the rim on his defender quite well. But now, with the increased reps, he’s learning about the smart decisions he needs to make with the ball.
You see it his game — new dribble combos, layup packages, in-between floaters, more decisive kick-out passes. He’s driving with a newfound calmness.
That’s something that comes with experience. Those jittery, indecisive moments are few and far between with Barrett in 2022.
He’s evolving into this incredibly dangerous, multi-level scoring wing player who can take on a ton of ball-handling responsibilities. On the defense side of the ball, he’s always guarding the opposition’s best player. He hasn’t entered any sort of “elite” tier as a defender but he certainly has the tools to get there.
Even with all of these major improvements in Barrett’s game, there’s still one more factor that goes into his future as the face of New York’s franchise.