RJ Barrett is believed to be the the New York Knicks’ selection with the third pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
He’s a well-balanced player. While at Duke, Barrett posted a balanced 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Barrett is preparing for the next level.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley: Barrett has been training for several weeks ahead of Thursday’s NBA Draft. And the workouts, with trainer Drew Hanlen, have prioritized two area’s of Barrett’s game: shooting and the ability to shift directions off the dribble to elude defenders – aka wiggle.
Barrett has moved his right hand on the side of the ball for a smoother release, and turned his stance to allow for a more fluid shot. He’s also spread his shooting hand, so the backspin on his shot spins tight and lowered his base so he has better rhythm, Hanlen says.
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Million Dollar Question: Why would RJ Barrett be a good fit for the New York Knicks?
“When you look at RJ Barrett the kid. I think he’s built for the big stage,” NBA analyst, Rashad Phillips tells the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
Per Peach Tree Hoops: The 6’7 wing was originally scheduled to enter the college ranks in 2019, but Barrett re-classified to the high school class of 2018 and, shortly thereafter, became the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country. With that came lofty expectations as the Canadian standout arrived at Duke but, while Barrett was insanely productive during his time in Durham, Barrett was surpassed by teammate Zion Williamson and, for many, Ja Morant in sliding to No. 3 in the 2019 NBA Draft in terms of the overall consensus.
“I think he likes to play on the high stage,”Rashad Phillips tells Scoop B Radio.
“I think he loves to play under the lights, the popcorn smell I like to say. I think New York is the perfect place for a guy like that. New York is not for everybody. But there’s a few players in this draft that can play in front of those type of people and have an impact. I think RJ Barrett is one of the few that can handle New York.”
