3 realistic expectations for Knicks in season opener against Grizzlies

1: RJ Barrett to be the Knicks’ leading scorer

One of the storylines swirling around about New York and Memphis facing off on Wednesday night is RJ Barrett versus Ja Morant. The Grizzlies point guard was selected one spot above Barrett in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Ultimately, both players ended up where they were meant to be, although Morant and Memphis have spent far more time in the spotlight than Barrett and New York.

Morant should be the Grizzlies’ leading scorer on Wednesday as Barrett should be the Knicks’ leading scorer. Barrett averaged 19.8 points in New York’s four preseason games and shot 48.2% from the field and 50% from the three-point line in 27.5 minutes.

Barrett expanded his offensive game during the offseason, and he showed that during the preseason. It helps that Jalen Brunson leads the offense now, and speaking of Brunson, if Barrett isn’t the Knicks’ leading scorer, Brunson likely will be.

There’s been a lot of talk about New York extending Barrett over the summer, with most of it unsurprisingly being negative. One big game against Memphis on national television won’t change people’s minds, nor does it matter what those people think. RJ knows what he’s capable of, as do Knicks fans. After watching Barrett dominate in the preseason, it’s time for him to carry that over to the regular season.

If New York ends up spoiling Memphis’ home opener, RJ Barrett will be a large part of the reason why.

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