New York Knicks: Ceiling and floor of every young player

RJ Barrett

And here it is. The only piece of hope New York Knicks fans have left for a better future. Originally selected with the third pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Barrett has been the star of the team since the season tip-off and a definite fan favorite.

Barrett ranks extremely high in almost every statistical category amongst other rookies. Fourth in points, sixth in rebounds and eighth in assists per game. Yes, his shooting percentages could use some improvement, but then again, almost every rookie ever has been like that.

Ceiling: Dwyane Wade/Donovan Mitchell

Comparisons to D-Wade have been circulating Barrett since his high school days. Both athletic, explosive guards with great playmaking and defensive skills on their arsenals.

So far, Barrett’s rookie season has been remarkably similar to Wade’s. The same can’t be said about Donovan Mitchell, though, who had a rookie season for the history books.

When it comes to Barrett, the sky’s the limit for the young Canadian. The extremely wide rotation that the Knicks have used this season has taken some of the spotlight away from RJ, as he should’ve had the ball on his hands a lot more. *Cough, Julius Randle, Cough*

Floor: Jerry Stackhouse/Jamal Mashburn/Andrew Wiggins

So, a 29.8, a 24.1 and a 23.6 points per game (career-high for each of them) floor for Barrett. Doesn’t seems too bad now, does it?

Judging from his rookie season, Barrett does not have any issue at all racking up points on the scoresheet. His one big issue is his shot selection. As a rookie, stuff like that is not alarming at all and can easily go away with the right coaching and work at the gym.

If RJ manages to boost those percentages, then we will most likely be looking at a potential All-Star in 2021. Otherwise, he runs the risk of becoming one of those “High-Volume, Low-Efficiency” kind of players, like the trio mentioned above.