New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett exploded for a career-high 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting Saturday afternoon, pacing the team past the Oklahoma City Thunder and propelling them back above the .500 mark.
While Barrett's transformation into a key contributor for the Knicks is a pleasant surprise given the lack of production in his rookie year, the sophomore guard's recent scoring binge comes as no surprise to teammate Julius Randle.
If anything, according to Randle, Saturday's performance is only a harbinger of things to come:
Article Continues Below“His ass wanted 30,” Randle told reporters after the game, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “He’s been close a couple times so I wanted to make sure he got his 30 ball. And he did. He’s been playing extremely well so he deserved it, for sure. And I’m happy for him. He’ll have a lot more in his career. That was good for him.”
Beyond his standout game Saturday, Randle's confidence in Barrett's growth certainly appears well placed. While the former Duke product ranked eighth in last season's Rookie of the Year voting, Barrett consistently appeared near the bottom of the league in offensive efficiency, according to tracking data by Synergy Sports.
Not only did the guard average a mere half a point per play on pick and rolls–where the league average is generally near one point per play–but he also ranked in the bottom 17% of the league in transition; displaying so much indecisiveness that many worried the pro game was to fast for him.
Still, despite the obstacles in his development, Barrett has improved across the board in almost every metric this season and has been one of the most significant factors in the Knicks' resurgence this season.
Listening to Julius Randle, it shouldn't really come as a surprise.