Complete grades for all 30 teams in the 2019 NBA Draft
New York Knicks
R.J. Barrett (No. 3), Ignas Brazdeikis (No. 47)
The New York Knicks may not have ended the night with Zion Williams, but their consolation prize is anything but. Prior to the collegiate season, R.J. Barrett was the consensus No. 1 overall pick. Instead, he landed at No. 3 and will get the opportunity to thrive on the game’s biggest stage at Madison Square Garden.
A smooth lefty, Barrett has tremendous size that allowed him to bully his way to the basket en route to averaging a team-high tying 22.6 points per game at Duke. Despite struggling with his outside shot, R.J. seems to embrace competition that is sure to do him well under the mass media fire of New York City.
R.J. Barrett was drafted by the New York Knicks.
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) June 21, 2019
Favorite Knick? John Starks.
Why he wants to be a Knick? Playing in the Garden.
Favorite NYC pizza? Dominos. DOMINOS. pic.twitter.com/BCEhl8wuXo
Despite a second round selection slotted at No. 55, the Knicks managed to trade up eight spots and select Ignas Brazdeikis. A capable spot-up outside shooter at 39.2 percent from deep, he’s got a high IQ playing off the ball and has a toughness to him that is sure to be welcomed by the MSG crowd.
New York expects Barrett to be a star down the line, while Brazdeikis was the Big Ten Rookie of the Year at Michigan last year. There’s no telling what the Knicks will look like at the start of the 2019-20 season. Whether they land a big-time free agent or not, they managed to come out winners of this draft with what is sure to be a franchise player.
Grade: A