to come into the NBA, in the last 10 years, according to Knicks former Scouting Director, Brendan Suhr. He said not to over think it and just take him.
He’s very versatile, with a mentality to score. He’s dominated every level, dominated at the FIBA [International Basketball Federation] level. And he’s got great size. He’s a winner, comes from great basketball and athletic family. You’re getting a great kid. He’s the strongest candidate for that pick.' |
Knicks ‘better pick’ RJ Barrett if he’s available: Ex-team exec - (
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Barrett’s strong 30-point game without Williamson against Syracuse (and a triple double the weekend before, against NC State) had his arrow trending in the right direction, during that time period.
Key stats: 23.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.2 apg
Heading into the Duke-UNC rematch on Saturday, it didn't seem likely RJ Barrett could leapfrog Zion Williamson in the Watch. But availability is a part of ability, and this is not a Player of the Year award. The Watch is about statistical consistency and impact. Zion Williamson was available for 81 percent of Duke's games in the regular season. RJ Barrett was available for all of them. That six-game difference wound up giving Barrett the slightest of edges. Check out their stat totals for the season.
Barrett: 724 points, 130 assists, 233 rebounds, 24 steals, 13 blocks, 95 turnovers, 58 fouls.
Williamson: 561 points, 57 assists, 229 rebounds, 57steals, 48 blocks, 61 turnovers, 51 fouls.
Need more convincing?
Barrett now owns the records for:
Most points by a freshman in Duke and ACC history (724)
Being fastest to 700 points in school history
Having the most 20-point games as a freshman in Duke and ACC history (23)
Most points scored at home in a single season in Duke history (402)
He's also one of just two players in the country averaging at least 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists (Justin James, Wyoming). Barrett earned this.
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1. RJ BARRETT, Duke
Key stats: 23.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.2 apg
Heading into the Duke-UNC rematch on Saturday, it didn't seem likely RJ Barrett could leapfrog Zion Williamson in the Watch. But availability is a part of ability, and this is not a Player of the Year award. The Watch is about statistical consistency and impact. Zion Williamson was available for 81 percent of Duke's games in the regular season. RJ Barrett was available for all of them. That six-game difference wound up giving Barrett the slightest of edges. Check out their stat totals for the season.
Barrett: 724 points, 130 assists, 233 rebounds, 24 steals, 13 blocks, 95 turnovers, 58 fouls.
Williamson: 561 points, 57 assists, 229 rebounds, 57steals, 48 blocks, 61 turnovers, 51 fouls.
Need more convincing?
Barrett now owns the records for:
Most points by a freshman in Duke and ACC history (724)
Being fastest to 700 points in school history
Having the most 20-point games as a freshman in Duke and ACC history (23)
Most points scored at home in a single season in Duke history (402)
He's also one of just two players in the country averaging at least 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists (Justin James, Wyoming). Barrett earned this.
Your grand argument is that Barrett had more counting stats in 6 more games?
I like Barrett a lot but that’s a bad argument.
And he sure is comfortable on center stage.
This is the same player who dominated Team USA in the FIBA U19 Basketball Championships in 2017. Team USA had earned two straight U19 titles and three of the last four, but Barrett ended those runs with 38 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
He's the standout who racked up 33 points and six assists in his college debut, a 118-84 dismantling of Kentucky; the one who scored 32 points and played all 40 minutes during a thrilling win at Florida State when an eye injury limited Williamson in January.
And the same superstar who notched a quiet zero-turnover triple-double behind Williamson's 32-point display against NC State.
This shows how quickly Zion's orbit has controlled Barrett's prestige.
The reason isn't novel; Barrett would be a team-leading superstar if Williamson wasn't on the same roster. You'd expect this excellence from 247Sports' No. 1 overall recruit in the 2018 class.
After Williamson's injury, Duke couldn't keep up with UNC. Barrett missed a few shots but hardly could've played any better.
Despite the loss, Barrett turned in a 33-point, 13-rebound effort while receiving little help from non-Cam Reddish teammates. The other Blue Devils shot 1-of-16 from three-point range. It turns out an unexpected 39-minute absence from an NBA-bound star can really affect a team!
When Mike Krzyzewski and his Duke staff had several days to prepare a plan without Zion, though, Barrett flat-out dominated.
Syracuse didn't have an answer for him in Duke's 75-65 victory on Saturday. Barrett racked up 30 points on a clinical 14-of-20 line, while also dishing a game-best seven assists that shredded Syracuse's trademark zone defense.
Barrett has an occasional habit of holding the ball too long, and that playmaker mentality will be a point of contention on his NBA scouting report. When he sees the floor like at Syracuse, he's even tougher to defend.
After all, you know he'll score. Barrett has proved as much all season alongside his roommate, a genuinely close friend.
Williamson told Devin Gordon of GQ he's closest with Barrett and Dana O'Neil of The Athletic that Barrett is "almost like my twin." They're at their best together.
No reasonable person would argue against Duke's best chance to win a national title being with the freshman duo on the court―but especially Williamson. He's a creative, powerful, efficient player who is exceptionally difficult to contain.
The best featured players know their wingman's worth. Sometimes, though, that wingman needs a moment in the spotlight to remind everyone else just how integral he is.
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He wasn't a franchise player but more of a borderline allstar before the injury and I think that is what people see in Barrett assuming he develops.
This is why I'd be ok with barrett as the pick and not trading with AD. Barrett as the pick if we were rebuilding and him being the future of the team would be a mistake, but he'd be joining KD and Kyrie hopefully. He's been good playing alongside a star already. He'd know his role and at times he can be the main scorer for the second squad. He'd have the James harden role when he was in OKC playing with durant and Westbrook. Now durant and kyrie.
People look at Hunter as an unfinished product and think he has more potential than Barrett, when Barrett is more than 2 years younger. I do feel that Barrett may not have as much projection left because he’s already polished, but I like that he seems to have the alpha dog mentality. Maybe he can rub off on Frank.
Not an all-time great but a guy who can be the third option on a championship team
This! If Barrett is there, take him and keep him. And keep the future picks. Do not trade for Davis, ESPECIALLY with a risk that he leaves in free agency in a year.
The risk of him walking is the biggest issue. If you had him locked in for a few years it would be one thing. But if they give up Barrett, Robinson, Knox and 2-3 Number 1 picks and he walks next summer - they’re screwed for 5-6 years at least.
The top 3 are going to be really good ball players.
Morant scares me the most.
Morant lack of defense is scary and I know the argument about him carrying the team on offense and saving his energy but I have not seen someone not even bother on the defensive end.
This is exactly what we should be doing if we get KD in here. And its probably what he'd want too.
AD has a tom of leverage from that standpoint that he can basically say which team he will sign an extension with. If Pels want the best package itll likely be from a team that gets an assurance he'll sign long term.
If memory serves
He has only publicly proclaimed us and the Lakers as 2 destinations hed re-up with. Between the bad blood with the Lakers combined with assets that have taken hits in value I dont know if Lakers are as much in the drivers seats as they once were.
Barrett could be exactly in line with what Pels would want most to put around Zion. Another 5 year cost controlled guy that has star potential.
This is exactly what we should be doing if we get KD in here. And its probably what he'd want too.
AD has a tom of leverage from that standpoint that he can basically say which team he will sign an extension with. If Pels want the best package itll likely be from a team that gets an assurance he'll sign long term.
If memory serves
He has only publicly proclaimed us and the Lakers as 2 destinations hed re-up with. Between the bad blood with the Lakers combined with assets that have taken hits in value I dont know if Lakers are as much in the drivers seats as they once were.
Barrett could be exactly in line with what Pels would want most to put around Zion. Another 5 year cost controlled guy that has star potential.
But again, the problem is he has stated he will not sign an extension this offseason for ANY team. If things don’t go the way he likes in 2019-20, he can and will walk at the end of the year. And then you’ve given away perhaps essentially 6 first round draft picks for 1 season.
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This is exactly what we should be doing if we get KD in here. And its probably what he'd want too.
AD has a tom of leverage from that standpoint that he can basically say which team he will sign an extension with. If Pels want the best package itll likely be from a team that gets an assurance he'll sign long term.
If memory serves
He has only publicly proclaimed us and the Lakers as 2 destinations hed re-up with. Between the bad blood with the Lakers combined with assets that have taken hits in value I dont know if Lakers are as much in the drivers seats as they once were.
Barrett could be exactly in line with what Pels would want most to put around Zion. Another 5 year cost controlled guy that has star potential.
But again, the problem is he has stated he will not sign an extension this offseason for ANY team. If things don’t go the way he likes in 2019-20, he can and will walk at the end of the year. And then you’ve given away perhaps essentially 6 first round draft picks for 1 season.
If he is unwilling to sign an extension you do NOT make the trade
At the same age he has very similar size, athleticism and offensive numbers as Giannis. IF he continues to develop physically and basketball-wise he can be a poor man's GIannis with a better outside shot.
The problem is, I'm not sure he has the right personality/desire to get there. We'll have to wait and see.
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When Zion was injured, Duke was mediocre. Barrett couldn't carry the team.
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After Williamson’s knee sprain abetted what became a somewhat excusable loss to Carolina, Duke took 48 hours to prepare and bounced back on Saturday night at Syracuse, led by 30 points from Barrett.
Barrett’s strong 30-point game without Williamson against Syracuse (and a triple double the weekend before, against NC State) had his arrow trending in the right direction, during that time period.
Yes. He absolutley carried the team when Zion was out. The loss to 'cuse was coaching, not Barrett.
Barrett is going to have a better NBA career than Zion. He's a better scorer than Zion. His basketball IQ is just below. And physically, he is built for a 10-12 year career of 78+ games. Zion will average 60-70 games/yr then be out by year seven.
If the Knicks trade for him, he's resigning. Knicks fans are always waiting for the other shoe to drop, but he's not going to lie to them and then leave.
The agent isn't going to let something like that happen, either. It would be a terrible look for the agent and bad for business for that agent.
If the Knicks can get Davis plus 2 max guys, they have to do it. Knicks haven't won anything in forever, they have to go for it and try to win 1 title. If that happens, no one will give a shit that they may have been better off in the long run if they kept Barrett.
Durant isn't even on the Knicks and Knicks fans are acting like he's a lock and wanting to turn down getting another top 10 player in the entire sport because they'd rather go with a youth movement and have a good chance of landing Zion as a free agent in 6 years.
The way some of you guys are talking you would think the Knicks have won a title recently.
If it's really true that the Pels don't want to deal with the Lakers and Davis doesn't want the Celtics, things become very favorable for the Knicks.
So, if the Knicks can swing something like #3/Barrett, Robinson, Both Dallas picks and maybe Frank or Dotson, I think you have to do it. When you think about it, there is a lot there that figures to be of long term interest to Nola.
Zion gets to come into the league with his college running mate. They get a big to keep other bigs off Zion and also replace AD's size/defense. They get a boost through the draft in Dallas's picks which after Tuesday night, we know you no longer need to be abysmal to find yourself at the top of the draft, very valuable. Frank or Dotson would just be throw-ins obviously but they are young bodies and in Frank's case the potential for some upside if he continues to develop.
The question I think the Knicks need to answer beyond the obvious (is KD coming here), but if so, does he need Kyrie? If not, I stay away from Irving completely, Davis becomes the 2nd max player and I move forward with DSJ at point.
Off the top of my head, if everything above came to fruition the Knicks would have a core of:
KD
AD
DSJ
Knox
Trier
Frank or Dotson
Pick #55 (maybe Tacko Fall)
Plus additional cap space as they only brought in the 2 maxes and all future NYK picks.
90.Cal : 5/19/2019 2:22 pm : link : reply
Alot of idiots said the same thing before the season started... just saying. If you cant put the numbers aside and just see "it" when you watch Zion... then I don't know what to say but stay tuned. Zion is going to be an 'All-Timer' while R.J might be an "All-Star"
Is it likely? Probably not, but there have been guys like Zion before to come out and not take the NBA by storm. Zion is 6'7", but has primarily an inside game. You can point to a lot of guys like that who couldn't dominate at the next level. Meanwhile, some shooting guards/swingmen with Barrett's makeup have not only excelled in the NBA, but have become perennial All-Star's.
It isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. And that's not even wondering what happens if Zion gets injuries that limit the explosiveness.
He carried the team? Carried them to what, a nail-biter of a win over putrid Wake? Beating sorryass Miami?
Duke was not a dominating team without Zion. Not even close.
They were still a top fifteenish quality team, and that's with Three decent players and nobody else. And I say that as a UVA fan.
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When Zion was injured, Duke was mediocre. Barrett couldn't carry the team.
They were still a top fifteenish quality team, and that's with Three decent players and nobody else. And I say that as a UVA fan.
Agreed.
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When Zion was injured, Duke was mediocre. Barrett couldn't carry the team.
They were still a top fifteenish quality team, and that's with Three decent players and nobody else. And I say that as a UVA fan.
Don't conflate Duke's domination with Barrett. Ja Morant is the #2 pick and his team didn't dominate anything.
Barrett palyed extremely well with or without Zion. That Duke couldn't make a three and has a total shit coach in no way impacts Barrett's prospects. And watch those Duke losses again. You will see that the only player to keep his game intact throughout was Barrett.
Agreed