Each of the top three picks in the 219 NBA Draft panned out nicely so far. At pick No. 3, the New York Knicks should be happy about what former Duke wing RJ Barrett brings to the table. Improving efficiency on offense while keeping his per game stats up to where they sit at now could land Barrett the Rookie of the Year honors this season.
It doesn’t look like Barrett is going to be the savior of the Knicks franchise. But that shouldn’t be the expectation off the top for him. He came out of the Duke basketball program as the second star behind Zion, and for good reason. There are flaws in Barrett’s game that will limit his effectiveness to some degree in the NBA.
Barrett is one of the most productive players in this rookie class thus far, partly because head coach David Fizdale doesn’t have anyone else on this Knicks roster to rely on the wing. So far this season, Barrett is averaging 15.1 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. But he is also averaging 2.7 turnovers per game and has -0.1 win shares.
Could Barrett eventually be the type of player that is a primary ball handler for the Knicks while averaging a double-double per game?
If he continues to progress on the defensive end of the floor and improves his fundamentals down low and off-ball awareness, then yes he could.