New York Knicks: Grading their 2019 NBA Draft
The New York Knicks needed to have a great 2019 NBA Draft. All things considered, they exceeded those expectations.
From losing out on Zion Williamson to witnessing Kevin Durant go down with a possible next season-ending achilles injury, New York Knicks fans have been through the grinder recently. They have been missing out on nearly every opportunity to step up to playoff contender in the past several years.
The Knickerbockers haven’t won a title since 1973, so they really needed to have something good happen for them in this year’s draft. They did and not just with one player. Here’s what they got.
A+. . SF. Duke. 3: RJ BARRETT
I’ve gone as far as to say that RJ Barrett is the best player that this draft class has to offer and I stand by that statement. He is by far the most well-rounded and most NBA ready player that the New York Knicks could have possibly picked up. In fact, at one point last season, experts were calling Barrett the best player in college basketball.
His ability to ball-handle, push it up the court, lead the transition game, and flat out score from anywhere on the court is unmatched throughout the rest of this draft class. Barrett is great at beating his defenders off the first step. He uses his outstanding athleticism and basketball IQ to either finish tough at the rim or kick it out to a wide open shooter on the perimeter.
As a rookie, Barrett can enter the league and easily average 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per night. He’ll be the focal point of New York’s offense and will mesh well with his new teammates. Additionally, he couldn’t ask for many better coaches than David Fizdale to mentor his transition into the NBA.
In terms of his weaknesses, his consistency and willingness to knock down the three-point shot was always a question during his lone season at Duke. But in the clutch, shot making was never an issue for Barrett. His lowly 66.5 free throw percentage was something that definitely raised some eyebrows. With NBA caliber shooting coaches and the right trainers, those small things will be fixed.