RJ Barrett hasn’t changed, the Knicks were just using him wrong

There is a perception that New York Knicks wing, RJ Barrett, has added another layer to his offensive skillset over the past two-plus weeks. Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post stated on January 13th that Barrett had figured his offensive game out and that he was now a multidimensional player.

Vaccaro’s comments came the day after Barrett scored 32 points in a game against the Dallas Mavericks, shooting 59.1 percent from the field on 22 shots. Unfortunately, Vaccaro’s comments are misleading, as RJ Barrett hasn’t added another layer to his game. He is just taking shots from better locations.

How the Knicks used RJ Barrett at the start of the season

Before December 31, Barrett spent most of his offensive possessions off the ball standing behind the three-point line, and he only touched the ball 41.6 times a game. The lack of touches resulted in Barrett taking 40.1 percent of his shots behind the arc, averaging 5.3 per game.

Sadly, three-point shooting is the weakest aspect of Barrett’s offensive skillset. He only made 30.8 percent of his attempts during his lone season at Duke University on 6.2 shots per game. Barret’s shooting struggles continued during his first season as a professional, as he only shot 32 percent on 3.5 shots per game.

However, it seemed like Barrett turned a corner during his sophomore regular season, converting 40.1 percent of his attempts on 4.3 shots per game. Unfortunately, that turnaround was short-lived, as he reverted to his former self in the playoffs. Barrett shot 28.6 percent in five games on 5.6 attempts per game.

Barrett hasn’t recaptured his sophomore season success and has only converted 33.6 percent of his attempts over the first 28 games. Barrett’s struggles played a vital role in him averaging 14.6 points per game, shooting 39.5 percent from the field on 13.2 shots per game.

The Knicks finally decided to showcase RJ Barrett’s offensive strength

Fortunately for Barrett, after the 28th game, he started taking shots from better locations. Before the December 31 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks announced that Julius Randle would be out because he was in health and safety protocols.

Randle wasn’t the only starter that missed that game, as Kemba Walker was forced to sit due to a sore left knee. The absences of Randle and Walker meant that Barrett had to take more of an on-the-ball role.

Barrett touched the ball 60 times during that game – a 44.2 percent increase from the previous 28 games. The increase in touches allowed him to drive to the basket more often, resulting in him attacking the rim 19 times in that game.

The increase in aggressiveness from Barrett contributed to him taking more shots in the restricted area. Barrett took nine shots in the restricted area versus Oklahoma City – a 114.3 percent increase from the previous 28 games where he averaged 4.2 per game.

The change in shot location was beneficial to Barrett, as he has always been most effective around the restricted area.

Barrett made 64.4 percent of his shots in the restricted area in college on 7.1 attempts per game. He continued to be effective in this location as a professional, shooting 54.8 percent over his first two seasons on 5.75 shots per game.

Barrett’s track record in the restricted area was present, once again, against Oklahoma City as he shot 77.8 percent, creating 14 points – 53.8 percent of his production. After the Oklahoma City game, the Knicks continued to give Barrett more touches.

He had averaged 58 touches per game in January of 2022, which has allowed him to drive to the basket 15.5 times per game. The increase in on-ball presence has played a role in him attempting 6.2 shots per game in the restricted area during this month – 32.8 percent of his total shots.

Barrett has continued to excel in this role, converting 57.6 percent of his attempts, generating 7.2 points per game – 29.3 percent of his scoring output. The shift in roles has also allowed him to keep his three-point attempts down, as threes only account for 29.6 percent of his shots over the past seven games, averaging 5.6 per game.

If the New York Knicks hadn’t made this change, Barrett would most likely be generating the results that he achieved in the first 28 games. Their decision to spotlight his strengths is what has allowed Barrett to break out of his shell.