New York Knicks' forward RJ Barrett might finally be putting together his breakout campaign. Barrett is in his fifth year in the NBA, which almost makes him feel like a veteran at this point. However, Barrett is still just 23 years old and has grown for the Knicks over the past offseason.
While the 2023-24 season is still quite young, we're witnessing the best basketball of Barrett's career to this point. He's averaging 22.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He's at a career high in scoring right now, and has shown significant improvement defensively as well.
In his first few years, it was clear that Barrett just didn’t have the ability to read the court at a high level. This is a problem a lot of young players run into, so the Knicks showed patience with their lottery pick. With that being said, Barrett's numbers on the 2022-23 season for a player of his ability were not what the Knicks wanted to see from him. Barrett often had possessions where he was going to shoot or drive before he had the ball.
So what gives? How has Barrett suddenly enjoyed a massive improvement early on in the 2023-24 campaign? Let's take a closer look at his play through his first seven games of the new campaign.
What's changed for RJ Barrett?
Shifting the focus back to the current season, Barrett's decision making and shot making ability have both improved tremendously early on in the new year. His field goal percentage this season is currently more than six percent higher than his career average, but perhaps what's even more incredible is that Barrett is shooting 50 percent from three this season, which is more than 16 percent higher than his career average there. Stephen Curry is the only other player in the NBA averaging more than 22 points per game and hitting more than 45 percent of his threes. That's pretty good company for Barrett.
While it may be hard to maintain these shooting numbers throughout the entire season, it's a great sign for Barrett and the Knicks that he's had such a strong start to the campaign. What he can maintain, though, is his defensive effort and ability to read the game. Knicks fans should be thrilled about this development because Barrett's ability to make the right decisions on both sides of the floor will ultimately play a major role in the Knicks success. Last postseason, the Knicks offense was extremely one dimensional behind Jalen Brunson. Julius Randle has been shaky since the 2023 NBA playoffs, so if a new and improved Barrett can step in and play a larger role, it should do wonders for New York all season long.
Has RJ Barrett finally arrived for the Knicks?
Could this finally be Barrett's true breakout campaign? It's fair to say the Knicks could be surprised by this development, but he could finally earn his first All-Star appearance this year if he continues to play at this high level. Looking back at the 2019 NBA Draft, it's fair to say that Barrett was the best pick the Knicks could have made. While it might be a stretch, the argument could be made that Barrett has been the best pick entirely based on his availability for the Knicks. Zion Williamson and Ja Morant have both missed significant time to injuries or suspension, while Barrett has been very durable.
If this is truly Barrett's breakout season, it couldn't come at a better time. The Knicks are coming off of their best season in ten years and are still looking to improve. Brunson has been great, and Randle has shown he can step up when needed as well. Barrett doesn't have to be the best scorer on the team, but if he can continue to hit shots and make the right play on a nightly basis, the Knicks could make a deep run in the playoffs again this season.
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