New York Knicks potential ROY RJ Barrett is playing exceptional basketball on both ends of the court. The 6’7″ 215 lbs. the rookie from Duke hasn’t resembled a rookie. Instead, Barrett looks like a seasoned veteran both physically and mentally on the basketball court.
Scott Perry and Steve Mills drafted Barrett with the intention of making him a cornerstone of the storied New York Knicks franchise. The draft pick is paying off so far this season. Knicks coach David Fizdale has been pounding defense into the rookie every chance he gets. Defensive principles are a priority for the entire team at the moment. Therefore, offense molding will come as the season goes along. The fact RJ Barrett is a naturally talented scorer, it helps with the defense-first mindset being instilled by the Knick coaching staff. The offense will catch up later according to Fizdale. Coach stated the importance of retaining information when it comes to offense. Due to the fact the Knicks have plenty of new faces, new offensive sets will slowly be worked in during the long NBA season.
Offensively RJ Barrett gets to the rim anytime he wants to due to his clever instincts on using angles to his advantage similar to Paul Pierce in his prime. Finishing through contact after drives to the rim and initiating fouls from the opposition has been Barrett’s strength along with finding teammates leading to buckets. The offense is being generated by the rookie and the 19-year-old will continue to improve due to his work ethic. The Maple Mamba must continue working on his free-throws and three-point jump-shot.
Defensively, Barrett already has the strength and wingspan to bother his opposition. Barrett’s defensive IQ allows him to be in the right spots on defense which leads to steals and disruption for the opponent’s offense.
Overall, RJ Barrett is quickly becoming a two-way cornerstone the Knicks been craving for since Patrick Ewing. The sky is the limit and become a two-way star in the NBA isn’t out of reach for the young stud.