
The drafting of New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett likely sent an appealing thought through the mind of 2018 first-round pick, Kevin Knox. After a horrendous rookie season for Knox, Barrett entering center stage and taking over the spotlight might be a positive thing, especially considering the pressure that was on his shoulders to perform. Knox was thrown into the lineup day in and day out despite his struggles, due to lack of better talent in the hopes that he would develop into an influential player in the NBA.
One year later, Knox had one of the worst rookie seasons in history and averaged just 12.8 points per game as a primary offensive threat. He collected just 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, showing not only that he needs far more time to develop his skills, but that he was not physically ready to take on NBA-level talent.
Barrett is facing a similar hurdle, considering his size and inexperience in the league. However, Knox gave him some essential advice and pointers to help him adapt quickly and overcome the challenges Knox failed to tackle.
Here’s what New York Knicks second-year player Kevin Knox had to say:
“He’s very confident in himself. Just the way he plays, he knows that he can really get to the basket. He’s a really underrated passer. I talk to him here and there. He’s a guy who knows he can bounce back. You’ve got 82 games so I mean one tough game is not going to discourage you the rest of the season. You’ve got to be able to bounce back in this league because there’s so many games. You play four games a week. One tough game is not going to affect you through the whole season.”
If there is one attribute about Barrett that nobody can object against, it is his work ethic. The third overall pick is wholly focused on developing into a premium talent at the professional level, and he does understand that bumps and bruises will occur along the way.
It takes time to adapt to the physicality and speed of the NBA, but Barrett has a solid group of mentors to lean on. Players like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris will help him exponentially in achieving this task, but playing time is the essential factor here, and he needs plenty of it this upcoming season.