The New York Knicks didn’t waste any time in getting RJ Barrett straight to work with his new teammates, allowing him to begin developing a relationship and sense of chemistry with them prior to his rookie campaign.
The youth already existing on the team must seem normal to Barrett, considering he’s only just 18 years old and will be playing with athletes not much older. The Knicks have elected to go full-speed with their youth agenda — striking out ‘on purpose’ with Kevin Durant in free agency and losing out to several other potential key additions.
Instead, they signed 24-year-old power forward Julius Randle as their keystone grab and brought in a slew of other complimentary players. The issues continue for the Knicks when it comes to luring high-profile players to New York, though, as the Brooklyn Nets hauled in both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Despite losing out on the elite talent, the Knicks are moving in the right direction, building around their young players and spending resources on helping them succeed and not taking unnecessary risks.
The youngsters are getting to work with the New York Knicks:
Young RJ Barrett getting in his first Knicks practice reps against Knox and Mitch https://t.co/wc15vs27s7
— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) July 2, 2019
Check out this video where Barret posts up on Mitchell Robinson, one of the league’s top young defenders – finishing second in blocks last year.
Barrett has more than he can handle in this bout with the center who holds a five-inch advantage. His step-back shot is far to the left and bounces off the top of the backboard. There’s nothing more we should take away from this other than it’s the first practice and it’s good to see the 3rd overall pick already working with his new team.
Additionally, developing a strong post-game will help him tremendously at the NBA level. One of college basketball’s more dominant players, Barrett is entering the league with high expectations and will hopefully be able to live up to his potential.