New York Knicks Unsurprised By RJ Barrett Breakout

RJ Barrett has been the New York Knicks' most undeniable offensive force in the early portions of the 2023-24 season.

Speak of the (Blue) devil? The New York Knicks are more than happy to.

Over the opening stages of the 2023-24 NBA season, the Knicks (5-4) have been primarily sustained by the antics of RJ Barrett, their homegrown franchise face. As the Knicks prepare to play their 10th game of the season on Monday night in Boston (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV), Barrett is on pace for career-best averages in points (22.6) and assists (3.1) as questions about his metropolitan future continue to linger.

But more hypothetical trades continue to remove Barrett's name from the conversation. The Knicks are 5-2 with Barrett in the lineup, as they dropped each of the two games he sat out due to knee soreness. Barrett also made metropolitan history last week: at 23, he became the youngest New Yorker to earn 5,000 points in a Knicks uniform, usurping franchise legend Willis Reed. 

“It’s terrific. He’s grown. He’s a gifted scorer,” head coach Tom Thibodeau recently said of Barrett's impact, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “He was making plays, he’s getting downhill. Defensively, I think he’s made great strides. He’s gotta continue to work. But just having another wing, their wings are long, so having that size is critical.”

Barrett's image rehabilitation began over the offseason: often viewed as a consolation prize from the 2019 draft, his mere prescience has been a bit of an upgrade over pick predecessors Zion Williamson and Ja Morant. A historic third-place run with Team Canada at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Asia proved even more intriguing.

Barrett lets one fly in Sunday's win over Charlotte / Wendell Cruz, USA TODAY SPORTS

But Barrett's career probably wasn't going anywhere until he showed he was capable of being a game-changer in a Knicks uniform. One could never call Barrett a bust, but third overall pick honors often carry a dangerous responsibility. The selection, after all, served as the launching point for Carmelo Anthony, Bob Cousy, and Dominique Wilkins, among others ... such as Michael Jordan. 

This time around, Barrett has proven his worth and then some, capitalizing on Canada's run to podium glory. In the midst of early metropolitan shooting struggles, Barrett has been the Knicks' most consistent shooter. He was thus an appropriate choice to headline New York's most recent victory, a 129-107 swatting of the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, with a 4-of-6 output from three-point range.

While the box scores have brought welcome change, some on the Knicks claim that Barrett himself hasn't changed a bit, having only amplified the qualities that drew the Knicks' attention at third overall. 

“I think the biggest difference is that there isn’t a difference. He’s had the same mentality and approach to every game that I’ve been his teammate,” point guard Jalen Brunson, a victim of Barrett's fury in the World Cup's third-place game, said after Sunday's win, per Ian Begley of SNY. "He’s chipping away, hitting singles, hitting singles. He’s playing great.”

“He’s seeing different types of defenses. Sometimes he’s being blitzed. Sometimes people are going under. Some teams are switching. He’s starting to feel real comfortable attacking everything,” praised Thibodeau in the same report. “He’s playing off people a lot better. He’s moving without the ball, he’s getting some easy buckets, and I think that goes a long way."