5 Christmas gifts Knicks fans should have on their list to Santa

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New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Gift #2: RJ Barrett finds his consistency

RJ Barrett finding a way to consistently play like he is right now is one of my biggest Knicksmas wishes this year. Barrett played poorly to begin all four of his NBA seasons before finding a groove and playing at an All-Star level in the second half of last year.

I said that RJ Barrett deserved his extension when he received it, and for a while, he was doing his best to prove me wrong. But once again, in mid-December, it appears RJ’s fall slump has come to a close.

This is something that cannot continue, though. It happens every season, which makes me think that RJ either has a mental block coming into the season or his routine is off. It’s not going to go over well with the fans if RJ is getting paid nearly $30 million per year, and he continually starts the season with two awful months of basketball where he looks lost.

When Barrett is good, he’s really, really good — like he looks like he could become a second option on a championship team. He has to stop this for everyone’s own good, especially if he wants to make an All-Star team.

Barrett is 22 years old, and there’s a chance this is still something he’s just yet to outgrow, but he officially starts his second contract next year, and the fall slump is something he will need to leave to the past.

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