RJ Barrett shows off his James Harden in most efficient outing of the year

RJ Barrett got off to a slow start coming off his right ankle injury earlier this month, but since appearing in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend in which he led the way in scoring, New York's third overall pick looks reinvigorated in recent games. 

Last week he scored 21 points against the Houston Rockets on 17 shots, hitting two of his five three-point attempts and notching six boards and three assists. He shot at least 15 times in three straight contests at one point and has consistently been a factor on the glass.

Against the Bulls Saturday evening, RJ continued his improved play, getting hot from deep in a 19-point performance, which included a nasty James Harden-esque stepback three late in the second quarter. On another possession, he caught the ball in the corner, pump faked a closing defender out of his shoes and side-stepped into another deep ball. He shot 8-10 from the field, his most efficient showing as a pro, going 3-4 from deep and adding four rebounds and three assists.

The pinpoint shooting is a great sign given Barrett's struggles from long range. He's shooting under 31% from three on the year and just 17% in February. Barrett was so hot on this night, at one point he looked visibly upset when looked off by one of his teammates in favor of an objectively worse shot attempt. The rookie saw little of the ball in the second half of New York's 125-115 win, despite all the confidence and energy he was showing earlier in the night. 

One play had RJ attacking in transition, where he has thrived throughout the season, side-stepping a Bulls defender attempting to draw a charge and taking a hard foul to get to the charity stripe. To avoid another lost season, the Knicks will need to make getting their young pieces all the reps and opportunities they can. Plays like these should entice fans about one of their top prospects, but the team has gone stretches without them in favor of running things through their veterans despite the Playoffs being out of reach.

Next on the docket the Knicks have a rematch against the Rockets at home, which should serve as another chance for Barrett to flash his scoring prowess against a tough opponent.