Why 2023-24 season is critical for Knicks' RJ Barrett, who must play with more consistency
There might not be any Knicks player with more to prove this season than RJ Barrett. At 23 years old, the former lottery pick is entering the first year of his four-year, $107 million contract extension.
The number three and Barrett have a complex relationship. Barrett was the Knicks’ third-leading scorer and third in minutes per game last season, but he’s been a below average three-point shooter in three of his first four seasons in the NBA.
Barrett had an uneven season in 2022-23, shooting just 25.6 percent on threes in his first 15 games. Over the next 19 games, Barrett averaged 21.9 points and shot 39.6 percent from three on 5.3 attempts per game. Overall, Barrett shot just 31 percent from long range on 390 attempts.
The postseason followed a similar script as Barrett went 1-for-8 from three in his first two playoff games, but shot 38 percent over the next eight games before a 1-for-10 overall shooting night in New York’s elimination in the second round against the Miami Heat.
Such is the wild ride Barrett has been on with the Knicks over his first four seasons. As he endures ice cold shooting streaks followed by moments of NBA Jam on-fire-like shooting, Barrett has been the Knicks’ version of Jekyll and Hyde.
It’s been common for Barrett to start a regular season on a cold streak and then find his footing later on in a season. The problem is that inconsistency makes Barrett difficult to rely on as a floor spacer.
The Knicks already have cramped spacing with a non-shooter in Mitchell Robinson and a below average shooter in Julius Randle. They could also use another solid perimeter defender on the wing -- something Barrett has also struggled to be consistently.
With his limitations on the perimeter on both ends, there naturally are questions about how Barrett fits with New York’s top two in the pecking order -- Jalen Brunson and Randle. In 1,432 minutes together last season, the trio of Brunson, Randle, and Barrett was outscored by 3.3 points per 100 possessions per NBA Stats.
There is some noise to that number, such as how many of the trio’s time on the floor was tied to minutes with players like Jericho Sims or Evan Fournier. But still, Barrett was the only player in the Knicks' nine-man rotation with a negative net rating (-1.2 points per 100 possessions) all season.
In prior years, head coach Tom Thibodeau had few options to replace Barrett if he was struggling. Now, he has a multitude of choices if Barrett is off his game.
Last year’s midseason acquisition, Josh Hart is a better defender and took minutes from Barrett at times last year. The Knicks also have Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes and Donte DiVincenzo in the mix for minutes on the wing.
For all of the concerns about Barrett’s long-term fit, he still is just 23 years old and has room to grow as a player. And he has shown legitimate improvement in a few key ways. Barrett has become a better finisher on drives in the paint and has excelled at drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. That continued this preseason when he took 21 free throws in three preseason games, converting on 18.
And this past postseason saw him play arguably his best stretch of basketball as he scored at least 20 points in five of seven games. Barrett made quick reads and decisions throughout New York’s playoff run, which showed that he could potentially play as a secondary scoring and creating option off Brunson.
But Barrett is going to need to play with more consistency to justify his place as a starter. If not, it will complicate his future with the Knicks even further.
