After losing in disappointing fashion on Sunday against the Thunder, the Knicks got it back together against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday with a 118-111 win. While this game was closer than it should have been, a win is a win.
This was an ugly, gritty win for the Knicks and while some players did not perform particularly well, others made up for it with some very strong play.
The Knicks are entering the start of their five-game Western Conference road trip, so to pull a win out like this means a lot. They will face many tough opponents such as the Warriors and Suns, so the Knicks need to take what they can get.
3 takeaways from Knicks’ gritty win over the Jazz
3: RJ Barrett needs to be better and more consistent
We have seen a lot of different versions of RJ Barrett so far this season. Last night, however, we saw the inconsistent, having-a-tough-time version of Barrett that nearly cost New York big time.
While I want to cut him some slack as he apparently was playing with some sort of illness, it does not matter that much. If you are sick, just don’t play.
Regardless, this was an all-around rough night for Barrett, as he racked up 18 points on 5-for-18 shooting from the field and 0-for-5 shooting from three. Barrett really struggled on all parts of the court offensively and it was really hard to watch at times.
As unworried as I am about Barrett, he needs to become a more consistent player if he wants to be worth his new hefty contract. Obviously, the games he plays extremely well are nice, but we need to see that out of Barrett more often.
Out of his 14 games played this season, Barrett only has five in which he has shot at league average or higher in field goal percentage. It is better to have many bright spots as opposed to none, however, Barrett needs to be more consistent for the sake of the team.
I have no doubt that we will see Barrett bounce back soon, perhaps in the Knicks’ next matchup against the Nuggets. Regardless, I am still very excited to see what the rest of the 2022-23 season holds for the 22-year-old.