New York Knicks: Grading their 2019 NBA Draft

Ceiling: Tracy McGrady

In terms of being a three-tier player and creating your own shot, there’s no young player that compares to McGrady, quite like Barrett does. Both are incredibly high energy players that thrive off of the moment and take their game to the next level under pressure. They both operate incredibly well on the pick and roll and can slip inside small pockets of space to find an opening in the lane.

Whether it be through a hop step, euro step, or spin, both players are incredibly crafty when it comes to getting to the rim. Once they actually get to the rim, their ability to change their shots mid-air, or finish strong in contact, or send the rock home with a high flying dunk, both show freak athleticism and a lot of flash on the inside.

This is a lofty comparison because if T-Mac never got hurt, I think he would’ve been one of the best to ever do it in the NBA. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I think it’s likely that we could see Barrett get incredibly close to the player McGrady was at his peak.

Floor: Andrew Wiggins

No, this isn’t because of the Canadian connection, but because what Barrett lacks in is what Wiggins currently represents in the NBA. Barrett has had streaky outings in his collegiate career and tends to take poor shots when trying to get into a rhythm.

Wiggins isn’t as much of a three-tier threat as Barrett, but they both tend to be hesitant when trying to pull the trigger from deep. Wiggins still has a ton of time to improve his overall game and this isn’t necessarily the worst floor RJB can hit as a player, but I think at his worst, Barrett is a Wiggins type player.

Again, it’s going to take plenty of work, but I could easily see Barrett becoming more like McGrady rather than Wiggins. He’s going to be a huge success in the NBA and the New York Knicks hit the jackpot with this pick.