New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett has his sights set on winning this season's Rookie of the Year award.
During the discussion, Barrett noted that he has set a pair of ambitious goals: a playoff appearance for the Knicks and claiming Rookie of the Year honors. He knows he will have to work hard to achieve those goals:
“(Rookie of the Year) is definitely important. It’s something I’ve been thinking about since I was a kid,” Barrett told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “So I thought the only way to do that is to work hard.”
The Knicks selected Barrett with the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft. A lot of hype has built up around his arrival in New York. However, as a rookie in the NBA, he knows it could take some time for his game to fully come to fruition:
“It could be in the beginning of the year, it could be at the end of the year,” Barrett said. “Somehow, some way, I’m going to figure it out. So I’m just waiting to see.”
Barrett played just one season under head coach Michael Krzyzewski at Duke, but it was clear he already had NBA-level talent. In 38 appearances with the Blue Devils, the 19-year-old racked up averages of 22.6 points on 45.4 percent shooting from the field (30.8 percent from beyond the arc), 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and just under one steal (0.9) in 35.3 minutes per outing.
The Knicks finished the 2018-19 regular season with the worst mark in the Eastern Conference (17-65). Hopefully, though, with Barrett on a mission, New York will find its way back into postseason contention soon.
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