RJ Barrett

New York Knicks: RJ Barrett already dealing with injury

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks have already started out their off-season with an unfortunate injury – RJ Barrett was forced to opt-out of playing with team Canada due to an injured calf.

The Canadian born player was expected to play in the 2019 FIBA World Cup but will sit out and recover from the ailment prior to the start of his rookie season in the NBA.

The summer league for RJ Barrett saw struggles and challenges. While the first few games showed several concerns and exposed weaknesses in his game, he did improve as the summer league went on. His numbers actually progressed, tallying 21 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists by the finale.

His shooting and turnover struggles were present but there is optimism that he will correct those mistakes and experience will help him solve those problems.

However, if he was playing hurt, that may explain his ineffectiveness at the beginning of the session. I do not believe the injury was present at the time, considering the speed he was playing at and the effort he was giving.

Aside from Barrett dropping out of team Canada, Andrew Wiggins and Tristan Thompson both opted out as well. For a player going into his rookie season, it is better to be safe than sorry at this point in his young career. There is a lot of excitement around Barrett and what he has to offer to New York, as his offensive abilities and tenacity towards attacking the rim make him an exciting young player.

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He will have to overcome the increased physicality and speed of the NBA, and that will take time and minutes on the court. Additionally, he must work on his perimeter shot and skills in the post, as both are required to a degree at the professional level.

New York Knicks: Who will have more impact in 2019 – Kevin Knox or RJ Barrett?

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks drafted Duke star RJ Barrett with the 3rd overall pick just a few short months ago, but will he be a focal point during the 2019-20 season or will Kevin Knox finally blossom.

Knox, who struggled tremendously during his rookie campaign, is looking to break out after an impressive string of Summer League game. However, these development-driven games don’t always translate to the NBA where the defenders are more physical, and the offenses are well-oiled.

The Knicks’ 2018 first-round pick has the potential to be an impact player, but it ultimately comes down to playing time and finding a way to get into the court after numerous veteran free-agent signings. He will battle Marcus Morris and others to continue building upon his skill-set.

It’s even possible head coach David Fizdale elects to start him at the beginning of the season in hopes he rises to the occasion, but Barrett will surely test his competitive nature in seek of playing time himself. Knox’s primary strength is getting to the rim and using his length to beat defenders on the interior.

He struggled to beat more prominent defenders and attack the rim with the same tenacity he did in college. While this could be a bi-product of his lack of muscle mass, this season should see him improve in that department. Additionally, his three-point show was a focal point during the offseason, which should help the momentum of the offense and add an essential part to his game.

How will the New York Knicks utilize RJ Barrett?

The Canadian rookie had a tough Summer League but progressed well with every passing game. The expectation is that he will be a starting player at some point in the season. Whether or not it’s right off the bat is to be seen. Barrett is an extraordinary scorer that has a high motor and can push the floor with speed. He’s also a quality passer.

He will have an impact in his rookie season, but it won’t be significant. His development will take 1-2 years, but he has the potential to be an All-Star-caliber player. If he can add a consistent perimeter shot and adapt to the physicality of the NBA, he can be an essential puzzle piece for the Knicks moving forward.

New York Knicks: Where does Damyean Dotson fit into the Knicks’ plans?

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New York Knicks, Damyean Dotson

The New York Knicks have a lot of guards fighting for playing time this season, finding out how to utilize them all will be tricky.

One of the guards that played a big role once Kristaps Porzingis was traded was Damyean Dotson. ‘Dot’ was geared up to have an even bigger role for this upcoming season. The second-round pick from the 2017 NBA Draft signed a three-year contract that was non-guaranteed for the 2019-20 campaign. The date came and went for the Knicks to let him go and save cap-space, as they elected to keep him around for at least one more season.

However, with the acquisition of RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, and Elfrid Payton, Dotson’s playing time could take a hit.

How did Damyean Dotson perform for the New York Knicks in 2019?

Last season, Dotson averaged 27.5 minutes per game. But, after the Porzingis trade, his production increased. He averaged 10.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 40 starts.

The Knicks were relativity bad on the defensive front. They did not have a lockdown defender in their arsenal. Some may consider Frank Ntilikina and some take Dotson. The 25-year-old was a very good defender for the Knicks, stretching the floor and knocking down some timely 3’s when called upon. He shot 37% from beyond the arc.

Dotson will have to fight for minutes like he’s done ever since he came into the league. He does have the defensive ability to require more playing time over other guards, but his offensive production needs to improve if he wishes to steal playing time away from the other options.

As long as he gets more quality time like he got last season while being lockdown defender that can pop 3’s in transition, he’ll earn the playing time he deserves.

New York Knicks: What will Allonzo Triers Role be In 2019?

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New York Kicks, Allonzo Trier

The 2019-2020 NBA season will soon be upon us and the New York Knicks, fortunately, have a few young bright spots from last season. One of them went undrafted, Seattle native, 23-year-old, Allonzo Brian Trier.

This 6’5″ 200lbs fierce and competitive combo guard’s role is quite clear.  Trier’s purpose, of course, is to provide extra offensive torque, lift and power off the bench for the Knicks, similar to what Lou Williams provides for the clippers, also identical to what JR Smith’s role was with the New York Knicks during seasons 2012-2015. 

Last season, Trier proved he’s a legit NBA scoring machine. His deadly offensive repertoire had Knick fans at the edge of their seats drooling and waiting for the next trick he had in his secret bag in the middle of a lost season. This former Arizona Wildcat earned respect from those who didn’t know of him before he entered the league undrafted although coming out of high school, Trier was a projected mid-first-round talent. 

Trier went undrafted due to controversy, injury, and what some scouts would describe as a selfish style of play. He calls himself “Iso ZO” for a reason. However, the kid gets buckets like there won’t be a tomorrow.

How did the New York Knicks fair this offseason?

The New York Knicks led by Scott Perry and Steve mills had an extremely underrated 2019 offseason after coming up short in the Durant and Kyrie sweepstakes.

Perry went on to give out reasonable and tradeable contracts to veterans in order to provide scoring, depth, and relief for the young core in Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett, Dennis Smith Jr. Ignas Brazdeikis, Damyean Dotson and Frank Ntilikina. 

Allonzo will benefit from guys like Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington, and even Reggie Bullock due to their experience, professionalism, and knowledge, which can have a positive effect on Trier’s basketball IQ. “Keep What You Kill” will be in full effect in training camp. 

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That kind of competitive nature Fizdale preaches to the young studs will bring out the best in everybody. No Handouts. Coach Fizdale will be seeking wins this season, and Allonzo Trier will be comfortable knowing he will be the primary and first scoring option of the bench for the Knicks.

The New York Knicks have the best depth in the league, but will it be enough?

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New York Knicks, Damyean Dotson

Will the New York Knicks succeed based on the quality of their depth?

The New York Knicks took an interesting approach to their success during the 2019-20 season, building out the depth of the roster and failing to bring in any real game-changers. The closest they got was with Julius Randle, an above-average scorer with awful defensive traits.

The depth on the unit, however, looks fantastic. The acquisitions of Bobby Portis, Wayne Ellington, Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock (who likely won’t play), and Taj Gibson, really gives the team some reliable playmakers beyond the starters. The Knicks might have the deepest bench in the league when you consider the ample youth that will be left behind due to the signings of Randle and Marcus Morris.

Portis, a dual position player, stated according to Clutch Points:

“I think we’ll be a top-ranked [bench] after the Clippers with Lou [Williams] and Montrell Hazell — that’s pretty strong. With our bench we have really good weapons in me, Marcus [Morris], Taj [Gibson], Allonzo Trier, Wayne Ellington. The list goes on.

Depth is an essential thing in the NBA, given the unpredictability of injuries and inconsistencies from players. Having missed out on superstars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the least the Knicks could do was bless the fans with a deep bench.

A bevy of power forwards seemed for fitting — Portis, Randle, Morris, and Gibson. While already have one on Kevin Knox on the roster. It’s anticipated that both RJ Barrett and Knox will continue as starters on the team with Dennis Smith Jr. featuring as the point guard. We can also estimate that Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson will also act as starters.

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Morris will rotate in with Knox a considerable amount and Portis with Robinson. It’s hard to predict how head coach David Fizdale will utilize his players, especially with a plethora of talent at power forward.

There’s little doubt the starting roster will be better this season – capable of more than 17 total wins. They’re looking to compete for a playoff spot; however, it might be a bit soon in the rebuild.

New York Knicks: How will RJ Barrett realistically perform in 2019-20?

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks and RJ Barrett are a match made in basketball heaven. The 3rd overall draft pick will improve on his flaws, which became evident in the first two games of the 2019 NBA Summer League.

RJ Barrett was shaking off the rust after not playing basketball for three months; therefore, fans began to have a panic attack when he struggled mightily from the field and with his decision making. The 2019-2020 NBA preseason is arriving in October, and the New York Knicks will have to implement their newly acquired talent in training camp. Fizdale isn’t handing out positions either. Everybody will have to fight for a job on that basketball court in training camp, including potential rookie of the year RJ Barrett.

The Maple Mamba will perform well this season for the worlds 5th most valuable franchise in the world (Forbes). Realistically, Scott Perry and Steve Mills drafted a kid with incredible tenacity and a relentless work ethic.

Barrett’s style of play is predicated on making plays for his teammates and getting to the rim by any means necessary. For a rookie, RJ has amazing finishing ability at the rim. Due to the fact Barrett’s a young 19-year-old physical specimen at a chiseled 6’7 210lbs with room for growth, it certainly doesn’t hurt that he is a crafty lefty who will be able to navigate his way to the rim at will due to his herky-jerky penetration style.

Once the game slows down for the Canadia international, he’ll live at the free-throw line and become a triple-double threat on a nightly basis, especially with his above-average rebounding. However, this young man will need some time to adjust to the speed of the game.

How much time? My prediction is the second half of this season, RJ Barrett will be settled in mentally and offensively/defensively improved.

There are some challenges and hurdles that he’ll have to face along the way. RJ Barrett will have to gain more experience playing off the ball. Therefore, there will be good offensive flow while playing with a ball-dominant point guard like Dennis Smith Jr. RJ must also continue working on that lefty stroke from deep. No challenge will be significant for this kid due to his ferocious work ethic in the gym. Barrett is the only draft pick out of the top six picks in this year’s draft to play more than one summer league game. This attests to his impending improvement and what he’s capable of achieving.

The New York Knickerbockers and RJ Barrett are a match made in basketball heaven because coach Fizdale is known around the league as the guy who sharpens and legitimatizes superstars! The Maple Mamba is in a great situation with Fizdale and his talent developmental staff. Barrett’s future at MSG is very bright, and he’ll win the hearts of many fans.

New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson is the future of the franchise

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

While drafting Kevin Knox and RJ Barrett in the first rounds of the past two NBA Drafts automatically puts more expectation on their shoulders, New York Knicks second-year center Mitchell Robinson is taking advantage of the lack of pressure.

With everyone so focused on how Barrett will perform in 2019 and if he can live up to his potential, Robinson has sat quietly in the background excelling at everything he does. In fact, he could very well break out next season after a solid rookie campaign. He was recently added to the USA Select Team along with 24-year-old teammate Julius Randle.

Having a center as your best player is a rarity in the modern-day NBA, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Eerily similar to Clint Capela, Robinson is raw in his abilities and focuses on the basics – jumping, running, and dunking with ferocity. Having quality footwork and different inside moves are all a work in progress, but he’s developing them and those new skills will play an important part in his future success.

The next step Robinson is looking to take is to add a three-point shot to his repertoire, something he utilized in high school ball. Aside from Mitchell’s tangible traits, his intangibles are excellent. A calming presence in the locker room and a good person off the court, he’s built for the New York media and handling the criticism that ultimately comes with it.

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The hope is that he can continue to improve and develop a positive relationship with the fan base. Confidence is an important thing in NY — as quickly as you gained it you can lose it overnight. The fans and analysts are vicious, but if you can excel, there isn’t a better place to play in the world.

The Knicks brought in 10-year veteran Taj Gibson to help mentor Robinson and teach him the intricacies of the game. The center is only going into his second season, which attests to the massive ceiling he theoretically has.

New York Knicks: RJ Barrett doesn’t deserve all the criticism

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks drafted the guy they wanted in RJ Barrett. It was the first time in it seems like forever that fans were happy with the selection.

Barrett did not have the best summer league performances.  Some might consider them very sub-par, however, Barrett has loads of potential and he was the correct pick.

Nick Hauselman spoke with New York Post’s Marc Berman about Barrett’s summer league performance and it is not what fans wanted.  Hauselman basically said that they were some good and bad for Barrett, which we all know.  However, Barrett is “not the savior” of the Knicks.

Hauselman looked at all of Barrett’s 125 possessions and believes that he will be a good role player for the Knicks, but not the guy that changes the course of the franchise.  He goes on saying Barrett rebounded well but played little defense.

Barrett appeared more confident taking defenders to the rim in the final two summer league game, but Hauselman thinks that he will not be blowing past people.  Rightfully so, but the Canadian showed that he is capable of getting past players.  Maybe not blowing past them, but he can create opportunities to do so.

Hauselman sees some ‘ugly’ moments when Barrett will try to take it to the rim, but doesn’t all rookies have ugly moments?  Did Hauselman ever think that Barrett was nervous?  People players perform poorly when nervous, especially when it is their first professional games.

The point is, again, Barrett is 19-years-old.  Yes, there will be growing pains.  But, saying that a 19-year-old is not the savior of an NBA franchise after four summer league games is stretch.  We do not even know what or who Barrett is yet as a professional player.

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Although, Hauselman did a very thorough and efficient job breaking down Barrett’s game. While he is correct to a degree, the rookie can be a cornerstone for this franchise going forward.

Barrett may or may not be the savior of the New York Knicks. But, it is wild to already put that kind of pressure or label on a kid playing in his first “warm-up” professional games.  That determination should be made a few years in.

New York Knicks: How will David Fizdale distribute playing time in 2019?

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks are beyond the point of babysitting. They’ve signed multiple pricey free agents and will be looking to utilize their talent instead of prioritizing the development of their youth.

The 2018 season was used as such — allowing options like Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, Damyean Dotson and more to rack up minutes with no consequences of failure. This upcoming season will be different. The front office wont hold back from playing the best players and we have to be ready to see options like Knox struggle to get on the court.

While we saw good things from Knox this past Summer League, the struggles will emerge again as they did last season. Whether he can fight through them or not is the question. However, just because the Knicks brought in players like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris doesn’t mean they can’t rotate frequently to ensure their players are gaining essential experience.

Building chemistry will also be a hurdle they must face head-on. Meshing rookies and youth with veterans isn’t always smooth, it will take playing time together to really help the team develop a cohesiveness.

I anticipate head coach David Fizdale favoring the players with the most potential at this point. He will undoubtedly start Randle, Morris, Robinson, and Dennis Smith Jr. The final slot could be handed to Knox, Dotson, Trier, Barrett…

Barrett, a 6-foot-7 winger, will earn his fair share of minutes, but his potential actually poses a problem for Fizdale who will have to floor an everyday lineup with a concentration of talent at power forward. Fizdale has been criticized in the past for his lineups — he consistently played Emmanuel Mudiay over Frank Ntilikina who absolutely ‘needed’ playing time.

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Finding a balance for Barrett, Robinson, Knox, Trier, Smith Jr., Ignas Brazdeikis, and veterans Elfrid Payton, Taj Gibson, Morris, Randle, and Bobby Portis will be difficult. They also have Wayne Ellington, a three-point sharpshooter.

The reality of the situation is that the Knicks could very well be a .500 team if they rely on the veterans. However, it’s still important that the youth players earn plenty of time on the court.

New York Knicks: The NBA physicality is exposing RJ Barrett’s weaknesses

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

The major concern with RJ Barrett entering the NBA with the New York Knicks was his lack of a perimeter shot. He’s shown this past Summer League that he has a few deficiencies that need to be refined into strengths, but it won’t be easy.

The physicality and heightened athleticism have presented a hurdle for the young Canadian, as he prefers to work in the paint and drive to the hoop. After looking horrendous for the first two Summer League games, he progressed nicely and finished his final game with 21 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

A good sign for Barrett, who wasn’t giving us any reason to believe he could be a top player in the league. Again, the Summer League should be taken with a grain of salt, as the jitters surely could’ve played a part.

New York Knicks: What are RJ Barrett’s weaknesses at this point?

1.) His three-point shot

Hitting on just .308 percent from beyond the arch in 2018 with Duke, this is a part of Barrett’s game that must be improved. The NBA has progressed into a three-point league and it’s essential he develops that part of his game. During the Summer League, he shot 24%, extremely low, but there’s reason to believe he will improve in his rookie campaign.

With the NBA average from 3-point land being about 36%, Barrett will likely hover in the 33% range, which isn’t too bad coming out of college. It’s important to remember that Barrett entered the league with challenges, most of which we have to assume the coaching staff was aware of.

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2.) Driving to the rim with more strength

With Duke, Barrett shot .529 on two-point shots and had a field goal percentage of .454. His dominance on the interior was impressive, but bigger and stronger defenders in the NBA will force him to adapt his game and put more muscle mass on.

His lankiness should actually prove to be an advantage, using his length to get beyond defenders. Standing straight up against interior defenders is where he will struggle. His post-game will take time to resurrect itself, but it’s important he takes those shots and works through the misses.

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The polish he requires will be significant. He doesn’t have elite athleticism and his skill-set isn’t at a level where he can blow by defenders yet. His footwork is sloppy at times and mechanical – it will be easy for defenders to mimic his moves and catch him in the air.

However, he’s a great pick-and-roll player. He’s a capable passer and loves to play up-tempo, moving the ball down the court quickly on defensive rebounds. I anticipate he will try to mask his deficiencies with high energy and hustle, something most rookies do while they’re working on their game.