To say that the New York Knicks' current season is disappointing is an understatement. After a surprising playoff run, signing Julius Randle to a 4-year $117 million extension during the offseason, and adding key pieces in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, the team is now 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 27-38 record. But in all of this chaos, RJ Barrett, their third pick in the 2019 Draft, is showing signs that he can take over the franchise through his stellar performances during the past few weeks.
While the Knicks' young wing is more of an afterthought as compared to other guys from his draft class, like Ja Morant and Zion Williamson, he has the potential to improve, both on the court and in the card market. We take a look down below if these RJ Barrett rookie cards are a worthy investment despite New York's frustrating season.
A look at Barrett's third year in the NBA
Barrett's rookie campaign didn't amount to anything as the Knicks missed the playoffs during the 2019-20 season. In the 56 games he played during that time, the young wing would average 14.3 points on 40/32/61 shooting splits while adding 5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and a steal per contest. As the numbers show, Barrett's shot selection didn't translate well because of his inefficiency with the ball in his hands.
While his rookie year was found lacking, his second year in the NBA was miles better. In the 72 games Barrett played without missing a single one last season, he increased his numbers to 19.2 points on 41% shooting from the field, 40% from deep, and 74% from the foul line. He also added 5.8 rebounds and 3 assists in 34.9 minutes per contest during that period.
With that kind of performance, along with Julius Randle's ascendance into All-Star territory, the Knicks were able to finish the regular season with a 41-31 record, which placed them in the fourth seed. Unfortunately, their surprising postseason run was cut short when the Atlanta Hawks eliminated them in the first round.
Even with an early exit, the hype and expectations surrounding the Knicks during the offseason started to grow. With the addition of Walker and Fournier into the lineup, collectors were expecting New York to resolve its backcourt issues and give Barrett and Randle a little help on offense.
Turns out, those projections were wrong. Walker isn't even in the rotation while Fournier isn't the extra offensive punch they're looking for. Derrick Rose is injured while Randle has regressed from his All-Star form last season. As it stands, the Knicks are 23rd in offense (109.3), 27th in points scored per game (105.8), and 27th in pace (96.2). With those numbers, it's easy to understand how they've fallen to most teams in the NBA.
Of course, everything isn't doom and gloom over in New York. While most of the guys there have underperformed or failed to meet their expectations, Barrett is quietly taking a leap this season. In the 54 games he has played, the Knicks' starting wing is averaging 19.2 points on 41/35/70 shooting splits, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per contest. What's impressive is how he has been performing since the start of February.
In that 10 game stretch, Barrett has taken a leap with 27.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in almost 40 minutes per night. And while the Knicks went 2-8 in the contests Barrett played in, his improvement as a scorer is clearly showing. The best example is when New York faced the Miami Heat with the young star notching 46 points on 59% shooting from the field and 54% from downtown.
Even with the loss to Miami, this display of offensive talent is what the Knicks need from Barrett. If he continues to play like this and Randle regresses further, the young wing from Duke will simply have to assume the role of being the number one option in New York. This will potentially be a boon for those RJ Barrett rookie cards that have been sleeping for so long in the hobby.
The state of RJ Barrett rookie cards in the market
Even with a quiet season in his hands, Barrett's stock in the card market is looking good for the short term. This progress can be clearly seen in a three-month graph by Card Ladder.
In the data shown above, Barrett's PSA 10 Silver Prizm rookie card has gone up from $215 to $300. That's a 39% increase during the said period, thanks to 82 confirmed sales of this gem-mint slab.
His PSA 10 card isn't performing quite as well, but it's not going under either. In another graph, its price has slightly increased by 3% or from $40 to a little more than $41 over the course of 496 confirmed sales.
These numbers show that Barrett's stock isn't as flashy or loud as other young stars in the market. What it's doing, though, is biding its time and waiting for the right catalyst to take a leap.
The verdict on RJ Barrett rookie cards
From a team perspective, the Knicks aren't doing so well right now and it's clearly a drag on those RJ Barrett rookie cards. If this was the other way around, a lot of collectors would be scooping up the young star's stock until its value rises. With the way New York is playing, there's little hope they can turn it around before the regular season comes to an end.
From an individual point of view, this can be an opportunity for Barrett to evolve as the Knicks' number one option on offense. Even as early as now, his talent as a scorer can be seen. With just enough minutes and some wins along the way, Barrett's confidence will be built up in preparation for next season when New York has a new chance to bounce back.
And since the issue on these RJ Barrett cards seems to lean more towards the Knicks, there can be an opportunity for collectors to scoop up the young star's stock at a good price. When timed properly, anyone in the hobby can score a good Barret card and keep it until things look good again in the Big Apple.
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