New York Knicks: R.J. Barrett Summer League recap

After an up-and-down Summer League performance in which the New York Knicks ended up finishing 2-3, it doesn’t hurt to take a look at the Knicks’ young talent. One such player being R.J. Barrett, the highly touted Duke rookie who showed signs of both caution and promise.

The New York Knicks missed out on promising free agents like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The media spotlight shined even brighter on R.J. Barrett to represent the future of the Knicks in the Summer League. While he received criticism early, his performances got better and better as the games went on until he had a breakout game to finish off midsummer basketball for the Knicks.

Game 1: Lost 80-74 vs. Pelicans

Final Stats: 10 pts, five rebs, 1 ast, 22% from the floor, 12% from three

With the highly-anticipated matchup between R.J. Barrett and former Duke teammate Zion Williamson getting cut short due to an earthquake, there is still a lot of gameplay to analyze. R.J had a solid start, hitting 2 out of his first five shots and being a major reason as to why the Knicks were up 20 points midway through the second quarter.

However, he started forcing the ball and taking bad shots which resulted in the Knicks subsequently blowing their lead over New Orleans. It’s entirely possible that Barrett wanted to impress fans and silence critics by taking tough shots to score as much as possible, but it backfired on the 19-year old. He was a team-worst -14, and it certainly didn’t seem as though he would turn things around in the final 7:53 before the game got shut down due to the earthquake above.

Barrett himself didn’t seem too worried about his performance, reminding reporter Ian Begley that it’s been a while since he stepped on the court.

"“I haven’t played a game in three months. I was fine. Shots didn’t fall, but I’m good.”R.J. Barrett"

Game 2: Lost 105-100 vs. Suns (OT)

Final Stats: 8 pts, ten rebs, 1 ast, eight tov, 20% from the floor, 20% from three

R.J. Barrett is at his best when he gets up shots within the flow of the Knicks offense instead of firing away long threes. This was evident against the Suns, as his first points of the game came off of a beautiful alley-oop from teammate and fellow rookie Ignas Brazdeikis.

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Unfortunately, this didn’t last long, as he reverted to his Game 1 self and began taking too many contested jump shots and playing isolation basketball on too many possessions. This resulted in an unsightly eight turnovers. He also struggled in overtime, where he played a big part in this loss.

One positive about this game was his rebounding, where he secured double-digit boards for the first (but certainly not last) time in Las Vegas. This is a skill that many hoped would translate from college, where he averaged an impressive 7.6 rebounds per game.

Game 3: Lost 85-73 vs. Raptors

Final Stats: 17 pts, ten rebs, 6 ast, one tov, three blk, 43% from the field, 25% from three

Barrett showed even more growth against the Raptors despite the loss, with almost all of his final numbers increasing from game 2. He played some time as the primary ball handler, and it increased his confidence. One aspect of his game that he displayed was his transition offense, where R.J. has the talent to not only score but get others involved. He showcased this right away, with an early alley-oop assist to teammate Kevin Knox.

While his shot selection wasn’t perfect, he seemed much more comfortable within the offense. Barrett’s six assists compared to just one turnover was a vast improvement from his previous outing, and he seemed determined to silence critics who had gotten louder after his first two lackluster games. Some did complain that most of his scoring came after the game was already decided, but he shut down those concerns quite fast.

Game 4: Won 117-96 vs. Lakers

Final Stats: 21 pts, ten rebs, 3 ast, one tov, 35% from the field, 25% from three

The Knicks’ first summer league win was an offensive spectacle, with all five starters finishing with double-digit points. Barrett was again solid on the glass, recording his third straight 10-rebound game. He also displayed a variety of post moves, using his 6’7″ frame to bully smaller guards and get to the basket seemingly at will.

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While his shooting regressed a bit, another underrated part of his game showed up: drawing fouls. He took ten free throws, hitting 7 of them. Barrett showed an excellent ability to draw contact while driving, and hopefully, he can continue to build on that skill in the NBA. It was also refreshing to see the young guard lead the Knicks to a win, as their 0-3 record before this game had begun to worry fans and analysts alike.

Game 5: Won 103-87 vs. Wizards

Final Stats: 21 pts, eight rebs, ten ast, two tov, 54% from the field, 50% from three

The Knicks finished their 2019 Summer League with a record of 2-3, beating up on the Washington Wizards in their final consolation game. Like almost every single game of the summer league, Barrett showed development yet again. He led the Knicks in both scoring and assists, dishing out impressive dimes like his 2nd quarter lob to Mitchell Robinson.

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Barrett was arguably the best player for either team in this game, contributing to the Knicks in nearly every facet of the game. This includes his defense, where he finished as a team-best +25. R.J. needed time to grow and adjust to the pro-style gameplay of the summer league after his freshman season at Duke and showcased his potential as a future all-star against the Wizards.

With just five summer league games under his belt, Barrett shouldn’t be expected to come in and start averaging 20+ points on over 50% shooting in his first season. There will undoubtedly be ups and downs, but it’s essential to stay patient with the 19-year old. He has the potential to be a generational talent, and he showed exactly why in Las Vegas.