With the Knicks desperate for any kind of win, RJ Barrett has been a breath of fresh air. He hasn’t scored in double-digits yet but he’s made an impact on defense and rebounding with his presence alone. With rookie sensations Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis struggling to find their footing this season, it looks like Barrett could be the answer they’ve been looking for all along.,
The “nba new york knicks” is a basketball team that has been struggling recently. RJ Barrett gave the team some good news by saying he will be playing for them next season.
The New York Knicks, at the very least, have RJ Barrett.
Seriously. It’s that simple during a miserable 2021-22 season that has seen the ‘Bockers go from an out-of-nowhere 41-31 season that earned them the No. 4 place in the Eastern Conference to the Sisyphean pit of despair that has kept them prisoner for the better part of the century.
Barrett has repeatedly supplied the bright burst of light required to keep optimism alive during a year in which almost everything has gone wrong, except from glimpses of brilliance from youthful players such as Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes. (For those unfamiliar with the Patrick Ewing era, “hope” is defined as a belief that things will turn out favorably in the future.)
The New York Knicks will face Murphy’s Law in 2021-22.
Knicks, if you’re fatigued, make your free throws.
julius randle’s ejection from a game when the Knicks really need him is a microcosm of his season.
INSPIRED: RANDLE IS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THE FUTURE THAT HE GAVE HIS TIME AS A TRIBUTE FOR THE KNICKS’ LOTTERY ODDS.
— Dan Favale (@danfavale) March 5, 2022
As entertaining as last season was for Knicks fans, it’s evident the club got too near to the sun and is now suffering from the traditional Icarian fall from grace. With a record of 28-38 entering a road game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 11, the team has dropped to 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 3.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Atlanta Hawks for a position in the play-in playoffs.
What was the offense? At No. 24, it’s wedged between the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 109.4 points per 100 possessions. What about the defense? Despite the fact that Tom Thibodeau is known for his obstinacy, the 13th-ranked team is allowing 110.5 points per 100 possessions.
Julius Randle’s three-point shot has dried up, he’s no longer hitting the difficult fallaway looks along the baseline, his passing has regressed, and his defense has bordered on nonexistent during a season in which his three-point shot has dried up, he’s no longer hitting the difficult fallaway looks along the baseline, his passing has regressed, and his defense has bordered on nonexistent.
Kemba Walker was thrown in and out of the lineup until his season was cut short due to a shaky knee. Derrick Rose, perhaps the team’s best player when healthy, has only played in 26 games this season and is still rehabbing his right ankle. Mitchell Robinson has degenerated to the point that he can’t seem to quit fouling. Despite a few hot streaks, Evan Fournier has been underwhelming. Alec Burks has been forced to play considerable minutes at the number one position due to necessity.
Except in the case of RJ Barrett, everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.
RJ Barrett continues to improve, allowing optimism to live on.
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RJ Barrett will not turn 22 until June 14, despite the fact that he is in his third professional season. He has plenty of time to continue polishing his talents, which will help him to make further steps on both sides of the floor and evolve into a real two-way star.
Though a slew of negative occurrences during the 2021-22 campaign should serve as a red flag, the progress he’s already made should give him some hope that he can keep going in the right direction.
| Season | PPG | RPG | APG |
| 2019-20 school year (age 19) | 14.3 | 5.0 | 2.6 |
| 2021-2022 (age-20) | 17.6 | 5.8 | 3.0 |
| 2021–2022. (age-21) | 19.2 | 5.8 | 2.9 |
Barrett’s stats have improved this season despite playing 1.2 minutes less each game. While they’ve been combined with a little less efficiency owing to some regression from beyond the arc, the Duke product has made in-season adjustments that have enabled him to advance to the next level after the All-Star break.
He seems to be becoming more at ease with the ball in his hands, producing off the dribble against a variety of defensive matchups. He’s shown more endurance by taking on difficult tasks on the defensive end and outscoring his opponent on the offensive end. Perhaps most significantly, he’s shown a desire to go for the basket and finish plays with force.
Barrett has averaged 27.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists since the midseason break, while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from three-point range. However, he’s hitting 74.2 percent of his free throws and averaging 9.4 free throws per game, which has padded his total efficiency figures enough to give him a 53.9 true shooting percentage.
That final percentage still has to climb, but it would be his greatest single-season total of his career, surpassing the 53.5 percent he achieved in 2020-21 and putting him closer to the league average of 56.2 percent. He’s doing all he can given the Knicks’ dreadful offense and the disproportionate amount of attention he receives as a consequence.
“Clearly, I’m becoming better at utilizing my strength now.” According to Peter Botte of the New York Post, Barrett remarked after scoring 24 points in a March 6 away win against the Los Angeles Clippers, “I’m studying a lot of video to be more productive with certain drives and specific scenarios.” “I’ve become stronger, and I’m learning more about the game.”
Barrett’s shot selection and accuracy from beyond the rainbow may both be improved. But for now, development is more essential than outcomes, and he’s already doing all he can to demonstrate what occurs when everything comes together. The Miami Heat, for example, learned this the hard way on Feb. 25 when he scored 46 points on 22 field-goal tries.
Fans of the New York Knicks need not worry: RJ Barrett isn’t going away.
The New York Knicks’ RJ Barrett takes against the Philadelphia 76ers. | Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Immanuel Quickley’s shot-creation ability, as well as Quentin Grimes’ three-and-D acumen during his rookie season, should offer the Knicks some hope for the future. If Tom Thibodeau was prepared to exhibit more (any?) rotational flexibility and offer Miles McBride more than 8.2 minutes per game, he could join the club of up-and-comers.
Barrett’s fortunes, on the other hand, will rise and fall with the Knicks for a long time. Despite the fact that he is only under contract for one more season before becoming a free agent, he has a good chance of signing a new contract.
“Since Charlie Ward, the Knicks have not re-signed a player they selected to a second contract after his rookie deal. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News informed Michael Scotto on the HoopsHype Podcast, “That’s how long it’s been,” alluding to the Heisman Trophy-winning No. 26 selection in the 1994 NBA Draft. “[Barrett] is up for an extension once his rookie contract expires at the end of the season. The Knicks, I believe, see him as a potential cornerstone.”
They haven’t signed a first-round pick to a multiyear contract in that span (a required caveat given David Lee re-upped with a one-year deal). Barrett, on the other hand, seems poised to buck the trend.
His fourth-year option has already been picked up by the Knicks, guaranteeing him $10.9 million next season. He’s now eligible for a contract extension for up to $181 million over five years. He’ll become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2024 if he doesn’t sign by the October deadline.
Given his recent success, a deal — maybe not a max extension, but a contract — should be on his table between mid-summer and the beginning of autumn.
Unless otherwise stated, all stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference and are current as of March 10.
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