Judging by his first 56 games as a pro, it's still quite hard to gauge whether or not New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett will indeed become a star in the NBA.
The third overall pick of the 2019 draft, after all, has looked like the best player for the disenchanted Knicks squad for most of the season. However, he still does not possess the same star power as his batchmates and Rookie of the Year frontrunners Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies and former Duke teammate Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans.
An unnamed former NBA head coach-turned talent evaluator told the New York Post that Barrett does have All-Star potential despite not being as flashy as today's young crop of talent.
“RJ Barrett is not going to fail. He’s got too much size, too much ability shooting, driving. His perimeter shooting and free-throw shooting — that will get better with time. We all know that. That’s what happens with NBA players,” the ex-coach said.
The NBA evaluator also noted that the 19-year-old Canadian's top attributes — an instinctive knack to using his body to wiggle to the basket, paired with a consistently high motor and serious-minded work ethic — should be enough to assess his prowess.
RJ Barrett, meanwhile, has been putting up impressive numbers for the Knicks prior to the suspension, tallying 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds. 2.6 assists, and 1.0 steal in 30.4 minutes per game.
He was only ranked fifth in the latest Rookie Ladder, trailing Ja Morant, Kendrick Nunn, Zion Williamson and Coby White.
The jury is still out on whether or not the left-handed swingman can live up to the hype. Barrett will indeed have his work cut out for him in the coming years, especially with the Knicks continuing to be the league's laughing stock this season.
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