2. RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
18.2 PPG, 6.4 REB, 3.0 AST
I was incredibly tempted to put RJ Barrett at the top of these rankings, because frankly his play early on has deserved it.
Barrett has given New York Knicks fans a reason to celebrate, as they finally have a young star worth developing.
On-ball playmaking, off-ball scoring, defensive versatility and grit rebounding the basketball. There’s little more someone would want out of a modern wing.
Probably the most surprising aspect of his attack so far is the fact that he’s been reliable on catch-and-shoot 3s. I’d expect his 42.1 percentage from deep to come down a few ticks as the season goes on, but having the trust to give him those shots to let others facilitate is huge and allows him to stay on the floor no matter which other guards he’s playing with.
Matter of fact, that was one of his biggest question marks coming out of college: how would his shooting translate when he couldn’t have the ball in his hands to attack the defense off the bounce?
Decision-making wise, Barrett hasn’t disappointed either. Sure he’s going to turn the ball over and make some mistakes, he’s a rookie. They all do.
But New York using him as a point guard in a variety of sets is interesting, and harkens back to some evaluators saying he had that kind of potential before he even set foot at Duke.
Barrett has no problem challenging for award honors at the end of the year, and will get more opportunities to do so in the near future.