New York Knicks: 3 predictions for R.J. Barrett’s rookie season

3. Barrett leads all rookies in scoring

Saying that Barrett is an extremely prolific scorer is no news. His ability to score the basketball has been his most significant asset of many, ever since his high school days when he was ranked as the best high school prospect in the country.

During his 2018-19 collegiate season, Barrett led Duke in scoring, averaging 22.6 points per game. He did all that while being teammates with Zion Williamson, the best prospect we’ve seen since LeBron James.

During the same season, R.J. scored a total of 860 points, which put him as the second-best scorer in a single season in Duke’s history. This tremendous scoring output also crowns him as the fifth-best ACC scorer of all-time.

Even though rookies usually tend to struggle during the opening acts of their careers, on paper Barrett has what it takes to translate into a top-tier scorer in the big leagues. He possesses the ability to create his own shot at ease and frequently uses his insane athleticism to his advantage.

The 2019 NBA Draft class is filled with a selection of very charismatic scorers, though very few can be put in the same conversation as R.J. With the New York Knicks officially striking out in free agency when it comes to superstars, the field is open for Barrett to begin his journey as the top rookie scorer.