R.J. State of Mind
It ain't hard to tell... this Knick is headed for superstardom
Forget for a moment that RJ Barrett was drafted third overall out of Duke two seasons ago. Forgot those expectations. Instead, focus on the fact that this 20-year-old ranks second in minutes and points for a Knicks squad waist-deep in the playoff hunt. Under coach Tom Thibodeau, playing time is earned, not given on pedigree. Former (and older) top draft picks Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina barely play. RJ gets minutes because he can be trusted defensively.
He’s long, strong, and fundamentally sound — always in a defensive stance with his arms wide. He has a great motor but plays under control. He stays on his feet against pump fakes and is plenty feisty without fouling. Watch how RJ ducks under the screen and hustles back to challenge Jimmy Butler at the rim.
Away from the ball, he keeps his head on a swivel to track the on-ball action and his man. This attentiveness makes him an effective help defender. Here he rotates early to take away the ball handler’s open path to the basket while his high hands prevent that pass for a layup. Coach Krzyzewski would be proud of this anticipatory textbook defense.
Though he defended Jimmy Butler, he usually doesn’t guard the other team’s best perimeter players (Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock do) but he has the physical tools and IQ to take on that nightly challenge. One thing holding him back from being a better on-ball defender is his size. RJ struggles to get “skinny” when fighting over screens. He often gets clipped, allowing his man to slip by on screens.
Analyze me, surprise me, but can't magmatize me
Playing with All-Star Julius Randle and a point guard resigns him to an off-ball role. Even without a lethal 3 point shot — he’s shooting about league average this season — he provides value away from the ball. He constantly moves into open pockets of space and maintains clear driving lanes for teammates. If defenders ignore him, RJ cuts behind them for layups.
When the ball swings to him, he’s decisive. He either lets it fly or attacks right off the catch against scrambling defenses. Despite his burst off the blocks, his off-the-dribble game is composed. This is a typical RJ drive. He grabs and goes to his left hand. His initial driving angle is wide, but his last two steps take him directly to the hoop. Note how he uses his body to protect the ball from one of the best defenders in the league.
If his initial move gets cut off, he can change direction with his handle. He’s a bruising finisher, scoring through contact, but he’s nimble enough to euro-step around defenders too. What’s most encouraging is that he can play within speeds on his dribble drives. Here he rejects the screen and decelerates to put the defender in a tough spot. Then he displays a veteran’s patience to wait for the help defense to retreat before going in for the score.
RJ has a blossoming midrange game as well. He looks fluid launching pull-up jimbos and he can string together advanced dribble moves to create space for step-backs. If defenders barricade the rim, RJ lofts runners and floaters over the top. Here he snakes the dribble on the pick and roll, throws in a little hesitation, and banks in fadeaway. It may not be pretty, but this play shows patience, change of pace, and the strength and composure to finish through contact.
Now, this part of his game is a work in progress, but these in-between shots are important to master as defenses shut off the most profitable looks at the rim and around the 3 point arc. Especially so for RJ as he doesn’t possess elite explosion to finish over rim protectors.
As a tertiary playmaker, he works off of dribble handoffs and occasional pick and rolls. His size allows him to find teammates and whiz passes over the defense. Here his penetration draws all five defenders to the paint before he fires this laser to the weakside corner for the hockey assist.
He can deliver the ball from a variety of angles and has good timing, touch, and accuracy on his passes. This was the first play out of halftime, drawn up for RJ. Check out the subtle head fake he gives to the corner to get the defender to vacant the paint.
The world is yours, RJ
There’s a not-too-distant world where RJ is leading the tank brigade and soaking up every possession as a lead ball-handler. In that scenario, he could easily average over 20 points, eight rebounds, and six assists a game. What would the narrative be then?
In the real world, RJ is thriving in his supporting role. His off-ball ancillary skills he’s developing now will benefit him when he’s the starring act. Until then, he needs to improve his shooting, polish his handle and in-between game, and get more reps as a playmaker. Even now he should be more of a threat in transition. In short, RJ’s raw. But he has the outline of a two-way beast, a three-level scorer and lead playmaker capable of dominating with or without the ball.
That forecast might even be selling him short. On the court, RJ is your high school’s tuba-playing, stage-show acting, three-sport star valedictorian who will succeed at whatever he chooses to do. What’s stopping him from developing into a post-up brute who bullies opposing guards? He could play the 4 and turbo-charge the Knicks attack without sacrificing their defense. On that end, his size and rebounding ability give him the potential to be a switchable stopper — a Ben Simmons Lite.
RJ’s career is a choose-your-own-adventure book. We don’t know how his story will unfold, but with his physical tools, IQ, motor, and jack-of-all-trades skill set, Knicks fans can rest assured that the book will have a happy ending.