Carmelo Anthony Glad to See Knicks Trade 'Bland' RJ Barrett
Carmelo Anthony had seen enough.
The former New York Knicks star offered his thoughts on one of the most monumental metropolitan moves in recent memory, namely the Dec. 30 trade involving RJ Barrett, on the latest edition of his podcast "7 PM in Brooklyn." The deal in question moved Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a three-player package headlined by OG Anunoby.
Anthony minced no words in his analysis of Barrett, claiming that the fifth-year man and third overall pick of the 2019 draft lacked the brand of excitement and panache necessary to headline Manhattan basketball.
Brad Penner, USA TODAY SPORTS
"He’s just a bland player," Anthony told co-host The Kid Mero. "That’s not a shot. That’s not disrespect. I ask a lot of people who are Knicks fans to see what they say, it’s just like, ‘He’s good, he gets it done sometimes, but he’s not an exciting player.’ You don’t know if he’s going to get 4 (points) or 26.”
To that point, Barrett began his final New York stages with at least 20 points in five of his first seven games this season. He reached that landmark only five other times over his last 19 showings as a New Yorker, shooting just under 40 percent in that span.
While far from a bust, it's safe to say that Barrett failed to impress Anthony, his companion in the third overall pick brotherhood.
Since Barrett left, the Knicks (23-17) have won six of eight with Anunoby in the lineup. Anthony called Anunoby a very similar player but hinted that he requires less maintenance.
“OG is doing the same thing RJ doing. He just (doesn’t) demand it the way RJ demanded to be a part of the offense,” Anthony said. “OG is cool sitting around on the wing and cutting and waiting for somebody to swing it to him and knock down a three. He still will play defense. No matter what. Whereas RJ, he's got to score 20.”
Barrett tried nearly 15 shots a game during his final 26 games with a success rate of just over 42 percent. Anunoby is trying nearly four fewer at a much more consistent tally of 51 percent in his first seven appearances. The Knicks have allowed only 100.9 points per game since his entry into the lineup, the best in the NBA in the new calendar year.
Since the third pick was used for his services, Anthony implied that Barrett felt extra pressure to perform on a nightly basis. That, he inferred, proved unsustainable when he became the Knicks' third offensive option behind Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
“You’re (scoring) 20, 22, 24, and that’s as the third option on that team," Anthony explained. "So now you feel like, ‘I’m putting up 24, I’m the third option. I’m not really getting it. ‘Alright man, I got to go. “He was probably feeling that. Like, ‘I’m ready to go.’ I’m sure he was questioning it.”
Toronto was perhaps the best place to send Barrett, an Ontario native who, to his credit, has thrived on the statsheet since the Knicks bid him farewell. In seven appearances with the Raptors, Barrett has averaged 19.3 points on a career-best 55.6 percent from the floor. His 6.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists would likewise stand as personal bests.
The Knicks won't have to wait long to stage a homecoming for Barrett, as the Raptors visit Madison Square Garden for a Saturday night thriller. In the meantime, the Knicks face the Houston Rockets in part two of a lengthy homestand on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
