3 reasons why Knicks’ RJ Barrett will be an All-Star in 2022-23

3. Knowing he’s the first option will mean easier buckets

People don’t give RJ Barrett enough credit for what he had to endure in 2021-22. Fresh off a playoff berth in 2021, Julius Randle was THE MAN heading into the new season and Barrett was supposed to be the second fiddle.

But Randle had a horrendous season.

On the court, Randle saw his numbers drop in points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, steals per game, and field goal and three-point percentage.

In Madison Square Garden, he became public enemy number one, memorably for mouthing off to Knicks fans after a tough bucket. And off the court, his image suffered because of it, at least in how fans perceived him.

Of course, I’m not here to judge a man’s characteristics or anything of that nature, but it’s clear that Randle’s bad play correlated to how Knicks fans viewed his attitude.

Through all of this, Barrett started to become more and more involved in the offense. However, that’s a tough spot to be in, knowing how much more it increasingly seems that you’re about to take over as the go-to scorer, but not in a seamless transition.

Heading into next season, it seems like a fair bet that Barrett is going to be the number one option. That should take an anxious load off his shoulders, which should in turn help his confidence. And confidence means better efficiency, which in turn means more points.

It’s a domino effect and it seems like a sure thing that Barrett will be in for a much better year from the field.