New York Knicks: 3 players facing most pressure in 2019-20
By Nick Crain
2. RJ Barrett
Yet another high first-round draft pick with pressure headed into next season is RJ Barrett. The rookie out of Duke University was selected No. 3 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.
A guy like Barrett will have some of the highest expectations in recent history for Knicks fans. He was selected as a player who one day should be the face of the franchise.
In his one year at Duke, Barrett averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He also earned 2018-19 All-ACC honors as well as ACC All-Freshman recognition.
In a small sample size, Barrett showed flashes of what he can do in the 2019 NBA Summer League in Los Vegas. Although he shot a poor 34 percent from the field, he still produced 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 30.0 minutes per game.
Although he should be one of the best rookies in the upcoming class, the pressure of being such as high draft pick, especially in New York, will be extremely high for RJ Barrett.