If he ends up in the deal it’s because the cost (in terms of picks) was mid/low.
As far as his game… I’m not sure where he goes but he is good laterally and is strong like bull. I think he’s not a great run jump athlete but he’s got a big enough frame to toggle between both forward spots. His jumper gets consistent and he’s a borderline AS on the wing. Again the comp is like Harrison Barnes… Barnes had some hops but hardly used it. Barrett has more ball skills… Barnes obviously better shooter now.
He may not get there but he’s worth a gamble assuming the cost is like 1.5 unprotected picks in the deal.if his cost is higher you don’t have to worry cuz he won’t be in the deal.
If the cost is low, I don’t care. I just don’t think it’s close to being that low. If RJ is in the deal, I think it’s way more likely that 3 firsts are missing instead of one. The fans who don’t want to trade him probably think he’s going to be an all star next season. If you’re a counting stats person, that argument is legitimate. There’s just no way the Knicks value him at 1.5 firsts.
IMO, Barnes was much more talented as a young player. For one, he was already proven to be a contributor in a smaller role as a young player. I’m very skeptical of RJ’s ability to do that as both a bad defender and a bad shooter. Barnes also had a lot more game. His face up, mid range game was always there and even if he wasn’t great at it you could see how it could be a thing down the line. A 6’8 guy who can get his shot off at any time….that’s a unique talent. Barrett doesn’t have a unique talent. He looks like a physical freak, but he sucks badly in areas where athleticism is supposed to shine.
Barrett has no mid range game or ability to shoot off the dribble. His offensive game is running at the rim and chucking up floaters, contested layups, and hoping to get fouled. He’s terrible at this btw, I think he was the worst finisher in the league last year. One could say he’s great at getting to the rim because of his high attempts, but his high attempts are also so high because he just tosses up a ton of garbage with no chance at scoring. I don’t think guys improve at the basket the same way they can as a shooter. You can get better, but most of it is natural athleticism and craftiness.
There are a lot of young wings who were very negative players and eventually made it work….but to me those guys were all significantly more talented. He’s not hopeless, I would be willing to be that team who offers him a huge offer sheet next summer. But Knicks people are looking at a guy who finished the year 25/6/4 and I’m seeing him as a guy who needs a lot of work to be a positive player in this league.
If any team offered 1.5 picks for Barrett, I think they would laugh their *** off.