The Knicks play eight of their next 10 games at home. Nine of their next 10 games or against teams with a .500 or lower win percentage. It’s an ideal time for them to get their act together, especially at home, where they’re only 8-11 this season.
For the Knicks (18-20, 5th in Atlantic Division), however, to get going, they need more from RJ Barrett.
The third-year guard / forward from Duke has underperformed this season; some of this can be attributed to a couple of reasons. Barrett has had to battle through both a stomach bug and COVID-19.
However, if Barrett’s performance Tuesday night in the Knicks home win over the Pacers was a proof of life, the best is yet to come from the 21-year old.
Barrett, over his last three games, is averaging 25.7 points per game. He is shooting 52 percent from the field and getting to the basket with more assertiveness.
It’s the latter part of that which has been inconsistent from Barrett’s game. The aggression and the consistency — the Knicks need Barrett to assert himself more. And that doesn’t mean get comfortable behind the three-point line and set up patio furniture.
Barrett can knock down the occasional three-point shot, but it’s when he’s driving to the basket is when he’s at his best. It’s the aggressive side of him which helps create more scoring opportunities for the Knicks.
Against the Pacers, Barrett dropped 17 of his 32 points in the first quarter. Moreover, only six of those points came from behind the three-point line. That’s the level of play the Knicks need to succeed.
“Just trying to be aggressive, that’s really it,” Barrett said afterwards. “When you get into the paint and make reads, you either finish or kick it out.”
The Knicks need the more aggressive version of Barrett to help turn their season towards the playoffs. They need Barrett, like they need the version of Julius Randle, who dropped 30 points along with 16 rebounds on Indiana.
On a team lacking one bona fide NBA superstar, the Knicks need Randle and Barrett to give them the best 1A and 1B possible.
“The most important thing is to them attacking the rim,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The game will tell you what to do. If you attack the rim, you make your rim reads and spread it out to open the 3-point game. That’s the difference. If we settle for shots, it’s gonna cause problems. But if we’re attacking the rim, it makes us different.”
Thibs knows what time it is. Let’s see if the message gets across.
[…] the 22-year old Reddish, the deal reunites him with former Duke teammate RJ Barrett. Moreover, both youngsters are in the third year of their rookie contracts. They’ll be up for […]