Knicks · The 2023 off season Rumor Mill. (page 6)
Starters: Ayton, Randle, OG, Grimes and Jalen
Bench: Ihart, (new back-up PF), Hart, DiVincenzo, Deuce or finally sign Rokas.
If these moves can be made by costing the FO just 3 or even 4 1st round picks, they can still have all their 1st rounders except 1year moving forward! I think this team can be a serious treat in the east for the next decade!
Jimbo5 wrote:A rumor is going around that the suns are interested in IQ, what if the knicks can package IQ and mitch plus a couple of 1st rounders to get Ayton. Then i read an article by Tommy Beer with a trade proposal sending RJ, Obi and a 1st rounder to the Raptors for OG. Then to round the offseason moves by the FO, they get DiVicenzo using the MLE.Starters: Ayton, Randle, OG, Grimes and Jalen
Bench: Ihart, (new back-up PF), Hart, DiVincenzo, Deuce or finally sign Rokas.
If these moves can be made by costing the FO just 3 or even 4 1st round picks, they can still have all their 1st rounders except 1year moving forward! I think this team can be a serious treat in the east for the next decade!
I’m not opposed to Ayton, but I can’t see us trading Quickley for him. That’s a tough role to replace and Ayton only offers a slight upgrade over Robinson.
Jimbo5 wrote:A rumor is going around that the suns are interested in IQ, what if the knicks can package IQ and mitch plus a couple of 1st rounders to get Ayton. Then i read an article by Tommy Beer with a trade proposal sending RJ, Obi and a 1st rounder to the Raptors for OG. Then to round the offseason moves by the FO, they get DiVicenzo using the MLE.Starters: Ayton, Randle, OG, Grimes and Jalen
Bench: Ihart, (new back-up PF), Hart, DiVincenzo, Deuce or finally sign Rokas.
If these moves can be made by costing the FO just 3 or even 4 1st round picks, they can still have all their 1st rounders except 1year moving forward! I think this team can be a serious treat in the east for the next decade!
I trust our FO knows much better than this.
- Knicks fans seem to under-value our own players. For instance, why would our front office give up Barrett, Obi and a FRP for Anunoby?
- Some Knicks fans don't seem to understand how salary matching works when a team is over the cap. For instance, the proposed trade could not work for Anunoby ($18.6M) for Barrett & Obi (~$31M).
- Many in the media spreading some of these rumors have not studied up on the changes/impacts to the new CBA. For example - Dame will make $62.2M in 2026-27 season. Towns will make $62M in 2027-28. That will be probably about 40% of cap space for a 37 year old pg and a 33 year old C/F. The new CBA also carries significant penalties and restrictions on player acquisition for teams over the 2nd Apron. Any prudent GM would stay away from these guys unless bringing them in almost guarantees a run at a championship.....because the side effects will be significantly challenging roster management & probably down years.
KnickDanger wrote:Jimbo5 wrote:A rumor is going around that the suns are interested in IQ, what if the knicks can package IQ and mitch plus a couple of 1st rounders to get Ayton. Then i read an article by Tommy Beer with a trade proposal sending RJ, Obi and a 1st rounder to the Raptors for OG. Then to round the offseason moves by the FO, they get DiVicenzo using the MLE.Starters: Ayton, Randle, OG, Grimes and Jalen
Bench: Ihart, (new back-up PF), Hart, DiVincenzo, Deuce or finally sign Rokas.
If these moves can be made by costing the FO just 3 or even 4 1st round picks, they can still have all their 1st rounders except 1year moving forward! I think this team can be a serious treat in the east for the next decade!
I trust our FO knows much better than this.
I used to post Tommy Beer stuff cause the stat stuff was interesting (if not out of context but who cares cause it was also fun) but then I realized he is an idiot
KnickDanger wrote:Jimbo5 wrote:A rumor is going around that the suns are interested in IQ, what if the knicks can package IQ and mitch plus a couple of 1st rounders to get Ayton. Then i read an article by Tommy Beer with a trade proposal sending RJ, Obi and a 1st rounder to the Raptors for OG. Then to round the offseason moves by the FO, they get DiVicenzo using the MLE.Starters: Ayton, Randle, OG, Grimes and Jalen
Bench: Ihart, (new back-up PF), Hart, DiVincenzo, Deuce or finally sign Rokas.
If these moves can be made by costing the FO just 3 or even 4 1st round picks, they can still have all their 1st rounders except 1year moving forward! I think this team can be a serious treat in the east for the next decade!
I trust our FO knows much better than this.
That part I don’t get. While not all will agree with this,, and please its not an absolute statement:
”RJ ceiling might be higher than OG”. If so, then thats a high price to pay for OG and will need to be extended.
I will agree OG is a better defender. And OG a better long ball shooter. Both for the moment.
I very much can see sending POrtland Siakim for the 3rd pick.
The FVV will walk for nothing is interesting. The ladder 2 moves alone creates big salary space. For that matter I expect another assets comes to Toronto.
Im a fan. I don’t let go of my guys that fast and thus attached and root for RJ as I do all the knicks.
martin wrote:KnickDanger wrote:Jimbo5 wrote:A rumor is going around that the suns are interested in IQ, what if the knicks can package IQ and mitch plus a couple of 1st rounders to get Ayton. Then i read an article by Tommy Beer with a trade proposal sending RJ, Obi and a 1st rounder to the Raptors for OG. Then to round the offseason moves by the FO, they get DiVicenzo using the MLE.Starters: Ayton, Randle, OG, Grimes and Jalen
Bench: Ihart, (new back-up PF), Hart, DiVincenzo, Deuce or finally sign Rokas.
If these moves can be made by costing the FO just 3 or even 4 1st round picks, they can still have all their 1st rounders except 1year moving forward! I think this team can be a serious treat in the east for the next decade!
I trust our FO knows much better than this.
I used to post Tommy Beer stuff cause the stat stuff was interesting (if not out of context but who cares cause it was also fun) but then I realized he is an idiot
IM not paying for his stuff. He is creating intersest where there likely none. They all do it. Its the nature of sports talk and has been since the beginning of time.
Cherry pick states to color a point. Its all over the place.
Best moves value was knicks made was Jules an Brunson, and they always came with “omg, we over paid!!!”
Stupid letter grades. Then the “failure of not landing DM”!!!!!!
And that keep coming back even this off season!! The DM dream not over!!!!
We love rumors. Its cool, keeps us thinking!!!!!
My point is the best moves are the ones we don’t see coming. Like Jules, JB, and JHart!
OG is not a scorer, and is a very good defender, but is not a great 3 point shooter, has limited midrange, and limited post game. I'm not sure why everyone wants OG throughout the league. He is injured often and helped lead Toronto to the lottery.
Nalod wrote:martin wrote:KnickDanger wrote:Jimbo5 wrote:A rumor is going around that the suns are interested in IQ, what if the knicks can package IQ and mitch plus a couple of 1st rounders to get Ayton. Then i read an article by Tommy Beer with a trade proposal sending RJ, Obi and a 1st rounder to the Raptors for OG. Then to round the offseason moves by the FO, they get DiVicenzo using the MLE.Starters: Ayton, Randle, OG, Grimes and Jalen
Bench: Ihart, (new back-up PF), Hart, DiVincenzo, Deuce or finally sign Rokas.
If these moves can be made by costing the FO just 3 or even 4 1st round picks, they can still have all their 1st rounders except 1year moving forward! I think this team can be a serious treat in the east for the next decade!
I trust our FO knows much better than this.
I used to post Tommy Beer stuff cause the stat stuff was interesting (if not out of context but who cares cause it was also fun) but then I realized he is an idiot
IM not paying for his stuff. He is creating intersest where there likely none. They all do it. Its the nature of sports talk and has been since the beginning of time.
Cherry pick states to color a point. Its all over the place.Best moves value was knicks made was Jules an Brunson, and they always came with “omg, we over paid!!!”
Stupid letter grades. Then the “failure of not landing DM”!!!!!!
And that keep coming back even this off season!! The DM dream not over!!!!
We love rumors. Its cool, keeps us thinking!!!!!My point is the best moves are the ones we don’t see coming. Like Jules, JB, and JHart!
Right, there is a certain level of obvious clickbait stuff I can understand from anyone; Tommy goes way overboard and tries to make himself the center for the info he is putting out and it's really lame
Caseloads wrote:RJ alone is likely better than OG.OG is not a scorer, and is a very good defender, but is not a great 3 point shooter, has limited midrange, and limited post game. I'm not sure why everyone wants OG throughout the league. He is injured often and helped lead Toronto to the lottery.
Dude is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league. All second team defense and can literally guard 1-5 and someone you put on the best player on the other team in the way the Knicks use Grimes. Incredibly solid 3point spacer just by stats alone.
You pair OG and Grimes in a lineup with one more guy who can also defend off the bench (IQ, Hart, iHart), and you can then have 1 or even another poor defender in your starting lineup and hide them (like Brunson and someone else). Not many teams can do this. With OG, you can go small in a very effective way.
Injury prone. Maye not offensively versatile but I can't really speak to that. Not a guy you build around but a guy every team wants in their rotation cause of exactly his defense and spacing.
They have VanVleet, Barnes, OG, Pascal and still couldn’t make the playoffs, there is something wrong there. I would rather overpay for Bridges. RJ, Obi, first rounder for Bridges. Or whatever it takes, his offensive package is better.
If you can sign Divencenzo to pair with IQ, Hart and I Hart would be a very interesting team.
MS wrote:I would pass on OG, he averages 61 games a year over the past 6 years. He’s one of those guys that has been overrated.They have VanVleet, Barnes, OG, Pascal and still couldn’t make the playoffs, there is something wrong there. I would rather overpay for Bridges. RJ, Obi, first rounder for Bridges. Or whatever it takes, his offensive package is better.
If you can sign Divencenzo to pair with IQ, Hart and I Hart would be a very interesting team.
The wrong there is the same wrong we have with Barrett. They have an overdependence on Barnes where he is an inefficient player. I don't see OG as a savior. I see him as a lock down defender that can hit a 3 with low usage. It creates more shots for more efficient players and next to Grimes and Brunson, allows us to cherry pick matchups since Grimes can guard 1-3 and OG can guard 1-4. It protects Brunson the way Klay protects Curry. I'd be all in on Bridges first, of course. Hell, I want both. But I think it makes a lot of sense.
Seems we an find good things about RJ, and bad. He is polarizing among fans.
I suspect OG is also. He is available for extension on his last year and become UFA after next season.
I like him and his game. Is the opportunity cost to get him worth it? Depends on where one is on the "RJ SCALE".
Nalod wrote:RJ season three he guarded the best 2 or 3 and was seen as a very good defender. Not sure where that stands via stats or perception.
Seems we an find good things about RJ, and bad. He is polarizing among fans.
I suspect OG is also. He is available for extension on his last year and become UFA after next season.
I like him and his game. Is the opportunity cost to get him worth it? Depends on where one is on the "RJ SCALE".
I thought the Knicks absolutely had RJ guarding the best wing players against opponents in the way Grimes did this past year, big development step.
I have zero recollection of RJ being considered good at it or above average or maybe even near average. He put in good work and effort but that was it. He wasn't locking anyone down.
Makes the team tougher, he was 2nd team defense with OG. Preventing a team like Cleveland from getting him also makes sense.
But could disrupt the culture.
MS wrote:I don’t like the guy. Don’t love his game, but if the idea is to keep assets you could give Brooks the full mid level and trade Obi for shooting.Makes the team tougher, he was 2nd team defense with OG. Preventing a team like Cleveland from getting him also makes sense.
But could disrupt the culture.
Dillon Brooks, right?
I don't know much about him but isn't he just another version of Okoro? Good defense with not much offense?
Knicks already have Josh Hart?
martin wrote:MS wrote:I don’t like the guy. Don’t love his game, but if the idea is to keep assets you could give Brooks the full mid level and trade Obi for shooting.Makes the team tougher, he was 2nd team defense with OG. Preventing a team like Cleveland from getting him also makes sense.
But could disrupt the culture.
Dillon Brooks, right?
I don't know much about him but isn't he just another version of Okoro? Good defense with not much offense?
Knicks already have Josh Hart?
Yep, we got our "dog" at the 3.
martin wrote:Nalod wrote:RJ season three he guarded the best 2 or 3 and was seen as a very good defender. Not sure where that stands via stats or perception.
Seems we an find good things about RJ, and bad. He is polarizing among fans.
I suspect OG is also. He is available for extension on his last year and become UFA after next season.
I like him and his game. Is the opportunity cost to get him worth it? Depends on where one is on the "RJ SCALE".I thought the Knicks absolutely had RJ guarding the best wing players against opponents in the way Grimes did this past year, big development step.
I have zero recollection of RJ being considered good at it or above average or maybe even near average. He put in good work and effort but that was it. He wasn't locking anyone down.
How RJ Barrett has become a strong 2-way player for the Knicks
by Adam Kester2 years ago
The New York Knicks have seen growth from many players this season, and perhaps none have been as encouraging as 2019’s 3rd overall pick RJ Barrett. The sophomore has taken major strides in multiple areas of his game.Of course, the entire Knicks team has looked much improved this season. Tom Thibodeau and his coaching staff have taken over a team that is largely the same roster as the year prior and turned them into a defensive juggernaut that currently sits 4th in the Eastern Conference. The team’s defensive rating of 107.4 ranks 2nd in the NBA.
RJ Barrett plays the 2nd most minutes per-game of anyone on the Knicks – He’s played a crucial role in the team’s success. What’s so encouraging about Barrett’s development is not just his numbers this season, but how far he’s come in just one offseason.Knicks: Looking Back at RJ Barrett’s Rookie Season
RJ Barrett and the Knicks’ 2019-20 season was tumultuous. Multiple head coaches, a disorganized roster, and a lot of losing – It was never easy for Barrett in his rookie campaign. If you’re just checking box scores, you would’ve seen plenty of ugly shooting percentages from Barrett. It wasn’t just the shooting percentages that were discouraging.When trying to find justifications for Barrett in his advanced metrics, those numbers were just as scary, both on offense and defense. On defense, his defensive box plus/minus (BPM uses a player’s box score information, position, and the team’s overall performance to estimate the player’s contribution in points above league average per 100 possessions played.) ranked 167th out of 187 eligible players.
You could say the Knicks’ defense wasn’t great last season, which is true, but Barrett’s impact on that side of the ball was especially negative. For context, Mitchell Robinson ranked 25/187 and Elfrid Payton 66/187 in the same DBPM metric last season.
Barrett struggled to find his footing. Of course, he didn’t have much help around him, but he simply couldn’t stay in front of quicker guards, and he frequently looked lost looking for his assignment. It’s a different story in 2020-21.Knicks: How RJ Barrett has become a steady defender on the wing
Barrett’s play on defense this season is a testament to two things: His own personal dedication to defense, and the remarkable job this coaching staff has done. Barrett didn’t undergo some kind of physical transformation this offseason. The players around him are not all that different from last season, but he’s gone from a liability to a weapon on defense.RJ Barrett's defense has been an underrated part of his improvement. The way be switches his stance with his footwork on Kawhi Leonard, overall needs to be talked about more. pic.twitter.com/z6SXrYNlxW
— BenchWarmerPost🏀 (@BenchWarmerPost) January 31, 2021
At 6’6 with a 6’10 wingspan, Barrett always had the size that could project into becoming an elite defender on the wing. What’s different now is that Barrett is properly using his size. Barrett isn’t as fast as some of the guards he has to defend, but he can wreak havoc by smothering them with his size. When guarding perimeter players, he’s learned how to stay back and let his long reach disrupt the ball handler should they opt for a jump shot.
This improved patience on defense allows Barrett to maximize his other biggest asset on his man-to-man defense: His physical strength. Barrett came into the league with strength beyond his years and now he gets to showcase it with his defense on a nightly basis. Barrett consistently overpowers his opponents, and as long as he has solid positioning on them, it’s going to be incredibly hard for them to break through his brick-wall defense.What makes the leap all the more exciting is the fact that Barrett’s defense isn’t usually on opposing role players – He usually takes on the toughest perimeter assignment. This season, Barrett has been the Knicks tasked with guarding the Kawhi Leonards, the Jimmy Butlers, and the Donovan Mitchells. He’s been soaking up every minute and learning from it.
The combination of technique, strength, and length also allows Barrett to switch and guard multiple positions. He can hang with guards, wings, and even some power-forwards. His versatility on defense is going to be an asset for the Knicks for years to come. Currently, among all players listed as a small forward or shooting guard, Barrett ranks 11th in DRPM (Defensive real plus-mins). It’s a huge transformation in just one offseason.
RJ Barrett came into this league with sky-high expectations, and here he is in year-2 playing heavy minutes with massive responsibilities. The coaching staff and the front office clearly trust him to take on the challenge. Barrett’s dedication to defense and team-basketball is a quality not all 20-year-olds have. With his attitude, he’s only going to get better.
The Knicks defense has a key cog on the perimeter named RJ Barrett.Now 4-1 on the season, New York looks as though they are taking another step in their evolution under Tom Thibodeau. Evolving as a team means that some of their younger players are evolving in their individual games as well.
Knicks News: RJ Barrett becoming a 2-way force
RJ Barrett is 21 years old, let’s start with that.There are a lot of good perimeter defenders in the NBA today and the vast majority of them didn’t get “noticed” on defense until a few years into their career.
There are some players who can come into the league right away and be effective defenders but those players are few and far between. A lot of the time, it’s just a matter of experience and strength. Not a lot of young players have the strength to match up with NBA veterans, nor do they have the experience to deal with how athletic any given player is.
RJ Barrett is starting to put it all together in his 3rd season.
In the team’s opener, we saw RJ Barrett be effective in guarding Jayson Tatum, one of the NBA’s premier wing scorers.
Against Chicago, he was all over the court guarding different players but spent most of his time on DeMar DeRozan. The usually efficient DeRozan shot just 38.9% from the field.
RJ Barrett was all over DeRozan when he attempted the game-winning shot — a shot he air-balled.
It’s in the game film and it’s in the stats. RJ Barrett’s length, strength, and technique have been a massive problem for ball-handlers.
We saw flashes of Barrett’s defense in his first two years. He put together some nice defensive performances but they were inconsistent.Not only were they inconsistent, but Barrett’s defensive responsibilities weren’t always paramount to the team’s success. While he would spend some time on elite perimeter defenders last season, it was Reggie Bullock who Tom Thibodeau leaned on.
Now, Barrett is the guy who Thibs leans on.
He’s learned to play to his strengths. Barrett has the length to recover on defense, meaning that he can sit back a step further when he’s in his guarding position, not letting quicker ball-handlers explode by him.
He is the Knicks defensive stopper. He is the warden.
New York Knicks: RJ Barrett clamps Jayson Tatum in first meeting
by Adam Kester1 year ago
The New York Knicks win over the Boston Celtics on opening night featured some monster performances, epic mistakes, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.There were some spectacular offensive performances from players like Julius Randle, Jaylen Brown, and Evan Fournier. The most notable defensive performance, at least, on the perimeter, came from RJ Barrett.
New York Knicks: RJ Barrett shines on defense
Now, before Boston Celtics fans come screaming “He missed a lot of open shots!!!” let’s just breathe. Inhale, exhale.Yes, Jayson Tatum missed some open shots. He also missed some shots due to RJ Barrett’s defense. Both are allowed to be true.
Even the best players in the world, like Jayson Tatum, are prone to having good a defender defeat their offense from time to time. Jayson Tatum is going to be fine. This is an RJ Barrett article, not a Jayson Tatum one.
When Jayson Tatum was guarded by RJ Barrett last night, he shot 3 of 16 from the field. He shot 1 of 6 from three. Jayson Tatum will go on to have another spectacular season, but it seems like Barrett might have reached the next step into becoming a 2-way player.
Jayson Tatum was RJ Barrett’s assignment all night long. Barrett spent over 11 total minutes as Tatum’s primary defender. The next New York Knicks player who spent the most time on Tatum was Evan Fournier, at just under 2 total minutes.
Barrett’s length and physicality played a major factor in Tatum having a rough night.
The defense showed up throughout the game but it also showed up in the most important moments down the stretch. Skip to 8:02 in the video below to see Barrett 1-on-1 defending Jayson Tatum in the first overtime.
Tatum can create space on anyone. Hesis, tween crossovers, he always gets his shot, you just have to make it as difficult as possible.
He gets some space here, but Barrett is all UP in his grill and gets a hand in his face as he fades away.
This is the RJ Barrett that needs to be here for the New York Knicks all season long.
Barrett has certainly flashed defense in his young career. He had some impressive showings last year, most notably his defense on Kawhi Leonard in last year’s road victory against the Clippers.
That’s typically where Barrett thrives on defense — against big, physical wings. He can match that.
This season, he is carrying a lot of responsibility on defense to be the team’s go-to primary defender on the perimeter. He wants to prove that he’s an elite defender in this league.
Game 1 is in the books and he looks up the challenge.
R.J. Barrett is a beacon of hope for the dismal New York Knicks
by Brendon Kleen3 years ago
If it weren’t for Tyler Herro’s explosion or Ja Morant’s late-game heroics, Knicks guard R.J. Barrett might be the NBA’s best rookie, a week into the 2019-20 season.
Pray for R.J. Barrett.
While some lauded the Knicks this summer for sticking to short-term contracts, not blocking playing time for their young players, and generally recovering well from failing in free agency, the team is going to be terrible. One of the worst in the NBA. Some see the additions of players like Wayne Ellington, Marcus Morris and Bobby Portis as insulation for young players like Barrett trying to grow early in their careers. Nope. The Knicks’ plan to maintain flexibility seems so far to be more about not falling too far out of relevancy than making life easier for the lottery picks dotting this roster.The team has far too often been hijacked by its new additions despite evidence those guys are not capable of anchoring good teams. Barrett is the best player on the roster and through four games has impressed by rising above the iso-heavy, gotta-get-mine offense and uninterested defense. If it weren’t for Tyler Herro’s explosion or Ja Morant’s late-game heroics, Barrett might be the best rookie a week into the 2019-20 season.
Knicks coach David Fizdale put it better than anyone could on opening night: “When the popcorn’s popping, that kid’s ready.”
With a 55.5 effective field goal percentage and 24 percent usage rate, Barrett is one of the only rays of sun for the Knicks’ offense. New York has been 11.4 points better per 100 offensive possessions with Barrett on the court so far in non-garbage time. If there is one thing the Knicks are doing well, it’s getting to the rim (they’re second in the NBA in at-rim shot frequency). Most of the players on this roster want to iso in the post or jack jumpers (see: Morris, Portis, Dennis Smith Jr. and Elfrid Payton), leading New York to 11th-highest isolation frequency in the NBA so far. The drive-and-kick identity comes from Barrett as well as human hammer-head shark Julius Randle, who signed a rich free-agent contract with New York this summer.
Both players have taken at least 60 percent of their shots at the rim this season. Barrett is in the 100th percentile for rim attempts among combo guards, according to Cleaning the Glass. Just about no one is putting more pressure on the defense inside. However, Barrett is converting just 58 percent of those looks, a middling number.
Just like in college, Barrett is overwhelmingly more effective going to his left. Barrett doesn’t have much of a right hand in traffic, so drives to his right result in off-balance, left-handed shots that have no chance.
Take out the drives to his right and I would guess Barrett’s at-rim efficiency is elite. Barrett has great touch, but there’s only so far that will get you against NBA defenses. Without a strong right hand, defenses will continue to frustrate him by over-playing his lefty drives. The scouting report will get stronger to take away what he wants to do. Still, Barrett is so comfortable with the mechanics of getting to the rim going left that it’s something he can build on.
It’s one thing for it to work in the ACC, it’s another for the methodical, strong strides and elbow uppercuts to take an NBA defender off guard. Barrett can hang physically against the pros. That much is clear already.Getting to the free-throw line can be a learning curve for young scorers. Ask Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker. Yet in four games, Barrett has already attempted 25 free throws. His scary free throw percentage is a whole other breakdown, but the ability to not only finish inside but draw contact and get easy points at the line will prop up Barrett on nights when his shot isn’t falling.
Barrett’s functional strength will also be helpful on defense, where lapses have resulted from a lack of focus rather than athleticism thus far. Barrett doesn’t always get into a defensive stance and can get caught watching the ball. With Mitchell Robinson in the lineup more consistently, that should get better, but some of the smaller lineups the Knicks have rolled out do perimeter defenders like Barrett no favors. Consequently, Barrett is already piling up a highlight reel that would make a world-class matador jealous.
Fizdale also isn’t doing Barrett any favors by easing him into the NBA calendar. After playing 37 minutes per game in preseason, Barrett is playing the same amount every night in the regular season. It’s not unusual to see Fizdale leave the rookie in for 10 or 11 minutes at a time.
Even so, Barrett contested Kyrie Irving well with the game on the line over the weekend, and his size and length are tools he can use to get better in man defense.
In help situations, Barrett has been great by a rookie’s standards. Duke was better defensively than offensively last season, and Barrett seems to be taking the lessons from his college team’s long, swarming style to bring manic team defense to New York.
With a steal rate of 2.5 percent so far, it’s clear that Barrett has been a menace to opposing defenses. But the fact that most of those steals have come from digging in for help, doubling in the post and flooding passing lanes rather than simple one-on-one situations is impressive.
Barrett can’t change the fact that the Knicks front office targeted players for whom Plan A through D is to score. Those guys are in New York’s rotation for now, but Barrett has already made the most of a strange situation and will only get better as he learns his teammates, especially the other young guys on the roster. Defensively, the team will likely be a mess all year barring a massive leap from Robinson, but they can be competitive by scoring, as they’ve already shown this year.NEXT: Kendrick Nunn is making noise as the Heat's latest reclamation project
The Knicks have the makings of an interesting offense on the roster, too. To escape the bottom of the NBA, New York can make better use of its grab-and-go potential with players like Randle, Barrett and Payton, all of whom are threats to get a rebound and create in transition. The Knicks have shooting and a cadre of guards who are willing to pass. At full health, they should score a bit better.But if the first week of the year is any indication, the focus is on Barrett. Playing 37 minutes a night with the confidence of a veteran on both ends of the court, the No. 3 overall pick could make a dark summer for the Knicks a bit brighter by keeping up what has been a sturdy, encouraging start.
Understanding RJ Barrett's uniquely heavy burden with the Knicks
Ethan Fuller
ETHAN FULLER
Sept 13 2022 4:29PM EDT
We need a bit of context to truly grasp the remarkable nature of RJ Barrett's development in the NBA.Barrett just wrapped up his third professional season and turned 22 years old in June. He is younger than several incoming rookies, including No. 14 overall pick Ochai Agbaji and No. 31 pick Andrew Nembhard. He recently signed a four-year contract extension worth $120 million — a lot of money for sure, but nowhere near the rookie maximum.
Yet, despite these indicators that Barrett is still a very young basketball player with ample room to grow, he is already taking on some of the heaviest two-way physical demands we've seen from someone his age.
The third overall pick from 2019 averaged 13.7 adjusted drives per 75 possessions in 2021-22. Barrett attacked relentlessly, and far more than his New York Knicks teammates. Driving with the basketball is one of the most taxing moves a player can make on offense. It requires the wherewithal to handle the ball and assess the court's shifting spaces, the lower-body strength to explode by defenders and the core and upper-body strength to fend off contact and, then, shoot or pass. These bursts of energy, physicality and processing are not easy to successfully replicate over and over.
And that's just one side of the game. Barrett also graded out as a defender who faced some of the toughest opponents. The BBall Index has created a Matchup Difficulty metric to try and quantify this. Barrett earned a plus-1.66 score, meaning his defensive assignments were more challenging than 95% of the NBA — requiring an elite combination of physical tools, focus and understanding of concepts to be successful.
With a few charts (sourced from BBall Index), we can place Barrett's responsibilities in the wider frame of the league. Here's a plot of every NBA player who logged at least 1,000 minutes and their numbers in those two categories. I additionally colorized the dots with BBall Index's Defensive Role estimator to add some clarity about what might be changing on defense.
Several of the league's most frequent drivers — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, for example — had very low matchup difficulty scores on defense, and their roles were even estimated as "Low Activity." Then, you have the elite defensive stoppers in the top-left corner who barely drive the ball. Barrett, who is labeled in yellow, kind of balances in the middle.
Zooming in gives more of an appreciation for his company. The below chart cuts off at 8.0 drives per 75 possessions; it's an arbitrary choice, but a fair one, I think, that encompasses just under 100 players. It also begins vertically at a matchup difficulty rating of zero. I won't break out the ol' AP Stats textbook, but these scores are based on Z-Scores that relate to each other, meaning a "zero" is average among the NBA. With these boundaries, we get down to 55 players:
Barrett stands out more clearly here as a player who drives frequently before turning around and staring down tough defensive assignments. He's in the company of household names like Jrue Holiday, Jimmy Butler and Fred VanVleet, and he's one of 10 players in this chart who was under 22 years old last season. This isn't to say he matches the impact, of course, but Barrett has a general reputation as a quality defender for his experience level.
This could be restricted even further to players who only take on very difficult matchups. If we cut the chart at 1.0 (about the 84th percentile for Matchup Difficulty), Barrett would be one of only 15 players to stay on the board — and one of only three players 21 or younger, along with Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Suggs.This type of two-way role is exceptionally unusual for someone of Barrett's age and position. Take a look at the 21-and-under players sinced 2014 who have averaged at least 8 drives per 75 possessions with a Matchup Difficulty score over 1.0:
Sixteen seasons make the cut. Fourteen of those seasons were from young point guards, who often got thrown into the fire with bad teams. Second-year Andrew Wiggins is the only other wing, and he barely cleared the thresholds (and wasn't nearly as good a player).
Barrett is one of the youngest two-way catalysts in the NBA, and he's taken on the responsibility with relative success. Oh yeah — and he's playing on the biggest stage in the country.
Obviously, though, he can be better, as he referenced on Monday's live stream interview discussing his new contract.
"I'm always working on my finishing, and just being able to shoot [and] shoot off the dribble," Barrett told Monica McNutt. "Many things. Free throws — holy, we've been shooting a lot of free throws, things of that nature."
Barrett averaged 16.2 drives per game after Jan. 1, which ranked eighth across the entire league, per Second Spectrum. But he made just 41.1% of his shots off of drives, ranking third-worst among 64 players who drove to the basket at least 8 times per game. His overall at-rim clip of 55% ranked in the 15th percentile among wings, according to Cleaning the Glass.
The finishing, despite Barrett's superb and improving aggression, remains perhaps the biggest target for critics. It's an area several leading basketball minds have dissected, and a place that can turn him from a volume-based scorer into a dominant, efficient spark.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic noted how important it is for Barrett to develop a right-hand finish. To piggyback, according to InStat Scouting, Barrett made just 36% of his at-rim attempts with his right hand vs. a still-rough-but-better 40% (on over 280 more attempts) with his left.
Mark Schindler detailed for UPROXX how improving pull-up and foul-grifting games could help Barrett keep defenders on their toes against his drives. Barrett is drawing more fouls; per Cleaning the Glass, 14.7% of his shots came with a whistle, placing in the 92nd percentile among wings.
As Schindler wrote, Barrett has enticing potential as someone who can capitalize on second-side swings and kick-outs by continuing to apply pressure as a driver. He's strong and fast with a much-improved handle and court vision that is approaching refinement. But New York rarely surrounded its rising star with the right blend of spacing and complementary aggression.
This year, those pieces might come together, starting with new acquisition Jalen Brunson.
"Jalen's great. He's really smart. He's a hard worker; he works on his game a lot," Barrett said. "He has natural leadership ability too. Just being around him, guys gravitate towards him as well, so I think him and I will work together very well — especially us being lefties, that'll be very good."
Brunson is one of the elite driving threats in the NBA. I wrote about this specifically back when he was popping off for the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. Brunson has proven himself as both a secondary pressure-cooker and a lead initiator, and it's easy to see how he can ease some of the load on Barrett.
The Knicks also have Immanuel Quickley, who continues to be one of my favorite young players to watch in the league — full stop. Quickley has picked up his pace as an attacker; he averaged 6.6 drives per game before the All-Star break and 10.3 afterwards. Like Brunson, he's another point guard who doubles as a quality catch-and-shoot option, and deserves to start next season.
Julius Randle can hit the gas pedal, and he's due for a happy medium between his 2020-21 breakout and last season's struggles. Obi Toppin and Jericho Sims keep defensive help in check as lob threats. Evan Fournier can still shoot it (and is still only 29?). New York has enough support for Barrett to find those extra spaces to dribble, shoot or pass when he puts the ball on the floor.
Driving and guarding tough matchups is not the only example of a demanding two-way role. But it certainly is a big one. Barrett ran the ninth-most miles (2.63) per NBA game last season, and his average speed (4.30 mph) ranked 21st of 124 players who averaged two-plus miles per game. He played 70 games after completing a full 72-game season in 2020-21; the durability in his role is impressive.
Barrett is gaining more experience, and succeeding more frequently, in a context few players receive at his age. Yes, he can markedly improve in several areas. But the man has tons of time and is surrounded by teammates who can help him be successful.
The growing pains of a 22-year-old franchise centerpiece should not overshadow the unique trajectory of his stardom.
Much was made of Jaylen Brown's career-high 46 points for the Boston Celtics against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, but what flew under the radar was Jayson Tatum's extremely rough 7-30 shooting game — more particularly, why Tatum had such a rough shooting game. That reason is RJ Barrett, who made Tatum's night an absolute hell on earth via some suffocating 1-on-1 defense.RJ Barrett said prior to the season that he wanted to assume the Reggie Bullock role on this year's team — taking on the best opposing wing players in the marquee 1-on-1 matchups. So far, between the preseason and the first game of the regular season, it seems like he's ready to make good on that assertion.
As cited in the stats from Michael Nania above, RJ Barrett forced players he defended to shoot just 18.5% on opening night, best in the NBA through one game. That also meant players he defended on the Celtics shot 15% worse when guarded by him than when they weren't.
Obviously, this is a single game sample size, so not too many conclusions can or should be drawn from it. To contextualize RJ Barrett's feat from the Celtics game, here's the leaders in that same category from last year (minimum 20 games played, via NBA.com/stats):
Hi there… Obi Toppin? That's maybe a little surprising. But otherwise this list is a who's who of great defenders. On the wing, Matisse Thybulle and Jae Crowder force opponents to shoot 7.3% and 5.6% worse, respectively, than they would normally. So if Barrett can have even half the impact he had on Tatum and the Celtics throughout the entire season for the Knicks, he should enter the elite company of some of the best (if not THE best) wing defenders in the league.
The film suggests there was nothing flukey about Barrett's defense, either. Just take a look at one of the most important possessions of the game. Tatum, with nearly a full shot clock at his disposal, came down the floor and had every opportunity to exploit Barrett for a game winner:
Barrett had other plans, forcing Tatum to the baseline and contesting his shot extremely well, forcing a big adjustment by Tatum that resulted in the shot soaring over the cup. If that wasn't enough, RJ Barrett did it to Tatum again with just seconds left in the second overtime, creating the opportunity for Derrick Rose to drop in the dagger for the Knicks on the other end:
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Joey Mistretta · 2 days agoIt's worth noting that Barrett probably isn't too fond of Tatum on the basketball court, either. Tatum gave him one of his “welcome to the NBA” moments as a rookie, making a shot on the baseline to win the game for the Celtics in almost the same spot that RJ Barrett denied Jayson Tatum in the first overtime on Wednesday:
At any rate, once again, it's a single game. Barrett has 81 more games (plus playoffs, ideally) to go before he proves that he's truly a defensive stopper. But the groundwork was laid in the first game of the season, and the league should probably start looking at RJ Barrett like the type of player that can credibly shut down a star wing on any given night.
The Knicks finally have an identity thanks to Tom Thibodeau, and their young franchise player, RJ Barrett, is thriving in this defensively focused system.
In his second pro season, R.J. Barrett has made commendable, noticeable strides in every aspect of his game. After a slow start from deep, he’s raised his three-point percentage to 38.3%. He’s averaging 2.9 assists per game despite ranking fourth in usage rate on his own team (behind Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley, and Derrick Rose), per NBA.com, and perhaps most promisingly—at 20 years old—Barrett is showing all the signs of becoming an elite defensive stopper.Listed at 6-foot-6 and 214 pounds, Barrett looks the part of an elite defender already and he’s only going to fill out his frame more. His 6-foot-10 wingspan has also likely grown since last measured during the draft process, meaning that defending taller players shouldn’t pose an issue.
As Barrett fully grows into his body he’ll have the frame to guard positions one through three, as well as some smaller power forwards. Hell, as strong as he is, he should be able to hold his own in the post when switched onto centers. The 20-year-old is already a solid ball of muscle, so even the biggest centers are going to have trouble moving Barrett an inch in a few seasons.
However, what good is potential that never comes to fruition? Barrett struggled throughout a listless rookie season, on a team helmed by David Fizdale and Mike Miller, and slander followed. While even (most of) his harshest critics admit they overreacted to a rocky first year from an at-the-time 19-year-old in an absolutely awful situation, questions remained.
Enter Tom Thibodeau. After a disappointing tenure as head coach and president of basketball operations with the Timberwolves, Thibs returned to Madison Square Garden, where he spent seven years as an assistant under Jeff Van Gundy and Don Chaney.
The team improved instantly under the new coaching staff. You can complain about his rotations and worry that Randle and Barrett play too many minutes, but Thibodeau’s Knicks look like a different franchise from the previous few seasons. Unsurprisingly, it’s a defensive resurgence spurring the rejuvenated Knicks.
Per NBA Stats, the Knicks hold opponents to 104.5 points per game, the fewest in the league. Pace plays a role in that—the Knicks have the fewest possessions per game—but the team still ranks third in Defensive Rating at 107.5, and behind only the Sixers (106.6) and the Lakers (105.8).
New York hasn’t had an above-average defense since Tyson Chandler won Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, and there have been more than a few seasons in which the Knicks finished bottom-five in Defensive Rating since then.
Thibodeau has provided the team with the schemes, the framework, and added motivation, but he’s not on the floor. He needs the players to execute, and they have.
For example, according to Basketball-Reference, Nerlens Noel is second in the league in defensive box plus/minus at 3.3 and leading in Defensive Rating at 101. Cleaning the Glass has him in the 97th and 94th percentiles in block and steal percentages for centers, respectively. The stats say that Noel is blocking 4.8% of opponents’ shot attempts and steals the ball on 2.1% of opponents’ plays.
Those numbers pop, but not all defense can be so easily quantified. The eye test says that Barrett has the makings of a great defender. He gets caught ball watching occasionally, but he’s 20 and he rarely looks overmatched in an on-ball defensive matchup. However, the counting stats aren’t there, Barrett is averaging 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game. Amongst fellow wings, Barrett ranks in the 34th and 19th percentile for blocks and steals, respectively.
Barrett’s defensive impact shows up elsewhere. Even when he’s disrupting possessions, he may not receive credit for the steal.
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When Barrett’s on the floor, the Knicks’ opponents have an effective field goal percentage (which accounts for threes) of 51.3%, which, according to Cleaning the Glass, places Barrett in the 93rd percentile for wings.The Knicks’ ability to defend the three-point line has been crucial to their defense this year. New York allows the 12th most three-point attempts (35.4 per game), but opponents are only making 33.4%, the best mark in the league.
The regression to the mean that analysts warned fans about never occurred and Barrett appears to be a part of the reason why. Per Cleaning the Glass, opponents are shooting 33.4% from deep with Barrett on the floor, 0.9% lower than when he’s off, and that impact grows when looking only at threes above the break—opponents are hitting just 32.4% of them with Barrett on the floor, and that percentage rises to 34.3% when he’s on the bench.
Teams do shoot more threes with Barrett on the floor—38.8% of opponents’ shots are threes when he’s in the game versus 37.0% when he’s sitting. However, the vast majority come from above the break. Not only are teams shooting worse from three with Barrett in the game, but they’re also shooting more tough threes and fewer shorter corner threes.
The classic counting stats just don’t show Barrett’s defensive impact, and while more advanced analytics help paint a picture, seeing is believing. Even when he does get scored on, R.J. is almost always in a good position to defend, sometimes guys just make shots.
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Luka Doncic wasn’t Barrett’s primary assignment last Friday, but his effort was obvious on plays like this.Doncic bricked his other two attempts when Barrett was switched onto him—both above-the-break step-back threes—and he coughed up the ball once when Barrett came over to help on a drive late in the fourth.
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The effort that Barrett shows on the defensive side of the floor is what should excite Knicks fans the most. Barrett already has the frame and the coach to become an elite defender—he’s just going to take work to get there. In the first clip, he calls for Noel to switch with him so he can guard Doncic. Barrett then defends Doncic about as well as anyone could.By all accounts, Barrett has the exact attitude you hope for when drafting a player third overall. “His work ethic is top of the line, his attitude and approach are top of the line,” said Thibs of R.J. Barrett following their win against Memphis last week, per SNY’s Ian Begley. “He’s a team-first guy. He’s 20 years old and he’s only going to get better.”
The most promising part of that quote is that it’s in reference to Barrett’s improved shooting and clutch play late in games, but it applies to his entire game. The Knicks have a two-way star blossoming before their eyes, and no matter where Barrett’s ceiling ends up you can be certain that he and Thibodeau will make sure he reaches it.
The NY Knicks are Much Worse without RJ Barrett’s Defense
by Chris Gallagher1 year ago
The NY Knicks have been much worse without RJ Barrett’s defense, and it showed especially against the Nets and the Bulls last week.The Knicks lost 119-115, and both Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan looked virtually unstoppable.
Lavine struggled in the previous Knicks-Bulls matchup, shooting 7/20 from the field and 0/5 from three, with Barrett primarily matched up with him. The Knicks lost this game also, but that was due to a lack of offense.The Knicks’ offense clicked after an embarrassingly bad first half that featured a heated Taj Gibson getting ejected in a call that even had Mike Breen upset with the referee.
New York battled back but fell short as they could not get stops late. If they had RJ Barrett, there is a solid chance they would win the game.
Do The NY Knicks Need RJ Barrett to succeed defensively?
The Knicks have a defensive rating of 121.2 without RJ Barrett, according to Statmuse, which is dead last in the NBA.The Pelicans have the worst defensive rating in the NBA with a rating of 113.6, meaning the Knicks without Barrett is a historically bad defensively.
This 121.2 defensive rating is also worse than the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks, with a defensive rating of 114.7. The Mavs went 11-71 that season, which is almost as bad as when they traded two first-round picks for that Latvian big man who’s had 59 thousand injuries.
I recently mentioned that Barrett’s defense was one of the key reasons the Knicks would return to being one of the NBA’s elite defensive teams.
Barrett has been the defensive stopper all year long and it is clear that he is the best on-ball defender on the roster.The Knicks were forced to put Evan Fournier on Zach LaVine without RJ. Fournier is not a poor defender, but he should never be the one guarding a player of LaVine’s caliber.
It is mentioned frequently, especially by Mike Breen, that Barrett always picks up his game in other areas when his offense is not clicking.
Since early November, Barrett’s offense has not been clicking, but he still seems to hustle on defense more than anyone.
One of the worst habits this Knicks team has gotten into is getting complacent on the defensive end. Barrett seems to be an anomaly to that.
Barrett also guarding the best player on the opposing team every night is more important to the Knicks than his offense, as they have the offensive weapons to cover for him, unlike last year.
It is also possible that guarding an almost all-star-level player every night could be fatiguing him more on the offensive end, causing this offensive struggle…but we can maybe focus on that more in another article down the road.
RJ Barrett is certainly the best on-ball defender the Knicks have.
Teams always show a defensive drop-off when they do not have their “stopper” in the lineup.
Hopefully, when Barrett returns from his non-covid illness, he will help the Knicks get back to where they need to be defensively.NEXT: 3 Kemba Walker trades the t
But at least I was not going crazy! It was a thing!!!!!
The Two way thing was why RJ WAS held accountable and he played thru cold shooting. THibs kept him in.
With Hart and Grimes he had the defense covered if the shooting was not there.
He is passing better, has an effective move to his right, his foul shooting improved, and he stood well in the playoffs.
If he can level his 3pt shooting to the high 30%’s (he did shoot 40% year two) his efficiency will improve.
RJ is not far from being really good. I get 3rd over all pick should be allstar ceiling, and maybe he gets there but he is not flashy and has to get to about 24pts per game to get that look.
As I said previously, he is polarizing.
I agree something needs to change as he and Randle don’t bring the best out of each other. Trade is not always necessary to do that, but I don’t have the answer either.
Nalod wrote:Thanks JoeC! I respect Martin so when he say he does not think much of RJ’s Defense I do question myself.
But at least I was not going crazy! It was a thing!!!!!
The Two way thing was why RJ WAS held accountable and he played thru cold shooting. THibs kept him in.
With Hart and Grimes he had the defense covered if the shooting was not there.
He is passing better, has an effective move to his right, his foul shooting improved, and he stood well in the playoffs.
If he can level his 3pt shooting to the high 30%’s (he did shoot 40% year two) his efficiency will improve.
RJ is not far from being really good. I get 3rd over all pick should be allstar ceiling, and maybe he gets there but he is not flashy and has to get to about 24pts per game to get that look.
As I said previously, he is polarizing.
I agree something needs to change as he and Randle don’t bring the best out of each other. Trade is not always necessary to do that, but I don’t have the answer either.
Nalod and JoeC. I skimmed the articles cause I have to jet soon and definitely read the bolded. They were definitely complimentary. But nothing more than opinion'ish and communicating the same things I had said: he put in really good work and was always put on the best offensive player. RJ can do well on defense occasionally, there is no doubt. That was not really the ask though.
martin wrote: thought the Knicks absolutely had RJ guarding the best wing players against opponents in the way Grimes did this past year, big development step.I have zero recollection of RJ being considered good at it or above average or maybe even near average. He put in good work and effort but that was it. He wasn't locking anyone down.
Help me understand how those articles translate to RJ being a pretty good defender? Like, some maybe even some flimsy stats that compare him to what the rest of the wing players who do the same thing? How does he rate out? How has he rated out over the whole year and then over a couple?
With Grimes, there are literally like hundreds of tweet posts have either map out all wing players showing Grimes in the upper right corner of all defenders or straight show him in the top 10 of things, meaning he is near best in the league. Every time I look at those, RJ is nearly always on the opposite end of the spectrum.
RJ was still young so we can even grade him on a 22 yo curve. Let's dig into the actual numbers.
Joe, I really appreciate the articles and reminders. I am not sure they really back up the fact that RJ was really that good. He had some great moments. OK. Now was he actually good across year?
Also, and this is just a me thing, I don't take too much weight with DailyKnicks.com articles and the like; those blogs have too many writers who vary in terms of observation skills. That's just me though.
Nalod. RJ is not polarizing to me. Cause I just am mostly looking at the data.