With the New York Knicks set to face the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Playoffs, most eyes are geared toward stars like Julius Randle and Trae Young. While both deserve the attention and praise, it'll be RJ Barrett who uses the platform to prove why he's the next “it” talent in the NBA.
For those unaware, Barrett hit the NBA with a bit of an all-over-the-place set of expectations. Sure, there were many of us who believed he had all the tools to be a superstar. He could rebound, pass better than given credit for, play defense well, and attack the rim with the fury of 1,000 Samuel L. Jackson films.
On the other side, there were those who were concerned about shooting, shot selection, and the fact he didn't have enough wiggle in his rear … or something. The last part is real and remains truly strange until this day. Our guys were out there arguing about RJ's ass-wiggling-ability.
Randle is the clear and current Knicks superstar. RJ Barrett, however, is not only close behind, but is about to showcase to the nation why he's the cat's meow. Moreover, that it isn't just guys like Trae Young who got next.
Barrett finished the season averaging 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Fun fact: Only four other players under the age of 21 have accomplished such a feat: Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Zion Williamson, and Luke Doncic.
And yet, through magic and predetermined projections from people who refuse to adjust to RJ Barrett being far better than they expected, his name is never whispered in the same breath of even “just good” young players. It's as if it was decided beforehand we'd never allow the idea of Barrett being better than some of his fellow NBA Draft class as part of the equation.
You anger me, nerds!
Oh, and as for the idea he can't snipe some shots from beyond the arc? It was true coming out of Duke, but that trope is dead. Barrett shot just above 40% from deep. Players aged 20 or under who have shot at least 125 3-pointers and also shot above 40% in a season? Tickle me glad you asked. The list is Bradley Beal, Mike Miller, and … RJ Barrett.
That's it. That's the list. Barrett — a purported non-shooter — joins two “known snipers” as the only players in the NBA's long and storied history to be that efficient from deep at such a young age.
What's sort of funny is the fact he's only 20 years old. For all the fun NBA Twitter had each and every time someone did the “Boston Celtics talent Jayson Tatum is only …” talking points, it at least rang true to some degree and provided for the idea he'd only get better with age.
Development isn't linear and each guy's path is different. I mean, Knicks star Julius Randle — who is only 25 — is a great example of this, as people were ready to write him off as recently as last season. But every knock people had on RJ Barrett is quickly being dispelled well before even the most optimistic of us could have predicted … and he's only 20!
In a twist of fun irony, as Barrett will be playing meaningful and fun minutes in the NBA Playoffs, his old Duke Blue Devils teammate Cam Reddish will be … around. Kind of just around. A guy some NBA Draft gurus did mental gymnastics to claim he'd end up being better than Barrett will be … floating around in the background. Reddish was supposedly the bar better offensive prospect who was “more ready now” and all that jazz, but he's shooting 37% from the floor and only 26% from 3 and has been hurt a lot.
Anyway, that's not the point. It's not to bash other guys who are decidedly not RJ Barrett. It's not even to smack those alleged NBA Draft gurus in the head for being loudly wrong about a kid who has somehow exceeded expectations he began earning as a high schooler in Canada.
Nope. This is celebration time. Consider this post just the appetizer before the main meal that will be Barrett's coming-out party to the world. Sure. He's being doing awesome things all season for a team that received more national shine as the season grew longer in the tooth, but it was like non-Knicks fans and some media outside of New York went out of their way to make sure it was mostly only Randle getting the love.
Come Hawks vs. Knicks, where many of Barrett's projected “better” contemporaries will also be involved, there won't be denying any of the greatness he displays during the series or the greater NBA Playoffs. And if he falters, stutters with the limelight on him, I'll always be able to scream, “He's only 20, man!”
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