Let's Talk About RJ Barrett
What were you doing at 19 years old? Were you hitting clutch last-second shots at the Garden in a Knicks uniform, no, probably not. Unless your name is RJ Barrett.
In the Knicks 125-123 win over the Rockets Monday night Barrett played arguably one of the best games, if not the best game of his career. He tied his career-high with 27 points and also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
This season a lot of the Rookie of the Year talk has been about Ja Morant or Zion Williamson, rightfully so they have been having great seasons. But, let’s talk about the guy with the third-best odds to win the award, Barrett. Barrett was sidelined earlier this season with an ankle injury, and it seems that just recently he has returned to feeling truly like his old self. “I noticed as we were at Houston, I thought you could see the first time he was really moving and really fluid again. I think he came back and was playing and still feeling the effects of the ankle a little bit so that you know can be disruptive with his rhythm,” his coach Mike Miller said pregame before his 27-point outburst. “I think the biggest thing is that he’s feeling better. I think he feels like he has the pushback in his legs, in his feet where he’s able to do things he normally does,” Miller continued.
Barrett started and finished Monday’s game strong. He got off to a hot start and had 14 points and 4 assists after the first quarter. With seven seconds left he scored his biggest bucket of the game. He was one on one with PJ Tucker and just muscled his way to the basket for a big-time shot that put New York up 3. “From the time that we started working with him in Las Vegas basically, in Summer League, he has never wavered on his confidence and knowing what he can do and wanting to make plays. He has ‘that’ in him. Some guys have ‘that’ in them he does,” Miller said postgame. “He made a big play there. He doesn’t worry about the last play, he doesn’t get caught up in it, which is a good thing.”
Barrett’s performance vs the Rockets was even praised by one of the league’s best, James Harden. “Aggressive,” the All-Star said of the rookie’s play. “I like it, especially as a rookie. Not timid at all and when you’re aggressive and confident in your game, you look good out there.”
Barrett is currently averaging 14.1 points-per-game which ranks fourth among all rookies. With the New York rookie looking like he is fully healthy now, the third overall pick will look to end his first season strong with hopefully a few more Knicks wins along the way.
