Knicks' RJ Barrett: Starting 5 'Weak Link'?
The New York Knicks are still figuring out what their starting lineup will look like when the season tips off in October.
It's almost certain that Jalen Brunson will run the point, while Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson will hold starting spots at power forward and center, respectively.
As for the wings, there's still two spots possibly up for grabs. Quentin Grimes, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and RJ Barrett all have cases to be named to the starting five but out of that group, Barrett could be the "weak link," per Bleacher Report.
"He's scored a whopping 299.1 fewer points than a perfectly average shooter would have on his attempts over that stretch," Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey writes. "He doesn't get to the free-throw line near enough to make up for that, and his defense isn't really moving the needle either.
"Since the start of 2021-22, the New York Knicks are minus-1.7 points per 100 possessions with Barrett on the floor and plus-7.3 without him."
As a former top-three draft pick, the consolation prize for missing out on Zion Williamson and Ja Morant in 2019, Barrett has the highest ceiling among the Knicks' wings. That promise and potential was rewarded with a four-year, $107 million extension last summer, which kicks in this season after he was kept out of potential trades for then-Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.
If Barrett can improve his efficiency, he can solidify his spot in the Knicks' starting five and continue to elevate like a former top pick should.
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