Feb 13, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (2) knocks the ball away from New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
It is a good time to be a New York Knicks fan, having won five of seven games as the All-Star break is on the horizon.
New addition Josh Hart has won over the hearts (pun intended) of practically every Knicks fan.
Jalen Brunson is continuing to show why he was snubbed of being named to his first career All-Star appearance with his array of unreal performances.
However, forward RJ Barrett is having the complete opposite of a good time, and it officially hit rock bottom Monday.
What has been a tumultuous past two weeks filled with inefficiency and an entire fan base turning against him, Barrett only worsened his case in Monday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Barrett finished with just four points, one rebound, zero assists, and shot just 2-8 from the field and 0-3 from downtown in over 24 minutes of action. Undoubtedly, this was his worst performance of the season, and it could not have happened at a worse time.
After putting up goose eggs across the board in the first half Monday (0-5 shooting from the floor), Barrett was benched after two turnovers early in the fourth quarter. Head coach Tom Thibodeau closed with Josh Hart in his place, who would go on to score 12 fourth-quarter points and a season-high 27 points in just his second game as a Knick.
With Hart’s impact, Barrett is now in danger of facing a massive role reduction if these struggles continue to mount, which would be devastating for the Knicks given that they committed four years and $120 million to his name.
There is reason to be optimistic that he will turn things around, as we have seen him really hit his stride on both sides of the ball, but he must figure it out now before he faces major repercussions.
Barrett will hope to finally break out of his slump when he and the Knicks take on the Atlanta Hawks on the road in their final game before the All-Star break.
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This post was published on 2023-02-14 10:59
