New York Knicks: Third pick likely means R.J. Barrett

Building blocks of a star

The Ontario native is a great playmaker with a high basketball IQ. He is also very good on the defensive end as well. However, one big thing Barrett does have to work on is his jump shot, mainly from three-point range. The NBA has become a shooters league and most offenses are geared to outside shooting.

One of his deficiencies came to light as he shot a mere 30.8 percent from three-point range this season for Duke. The three-point line is three feet further back in the NBA, so the chances are his numbers won’t improve unless he puts in some serious practice. This is the main thing Barrett needs to work on moving forward in his pro career.

As a shooting guard/forward, a long jump shot is very important going into the NBA. On the bright side, long Js and Barrett’s free throw shooting in the clutch really are his only flaws. Believe it or not, this is a good thing because those are skills that can be taught and developed.

Barrett’s ball distribution, knowledge of the game and other characteristics are intangibles that simply cannot be taught. This means that Barrett has some serious potential and under the right coaching, with the New York Knicks seem to have with David Fizdale, the 18-year-old could have one of the highest ceilings in this draft.

To sum up Barrett’s ceiling, the strong points of his game are natural. The areas that he is deficient in are things that he can learn and improve upon.