Former Knicks Teammate Explains How RJ Barrett Has Changed Since Joining the Raptors

Former New York Knicks teammate Obi Toppin sees RJ Barrett playing more freely since he joined the Toronto Raptors last season

Jan 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) reacts after a basket during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

RJ Barrett has never lacked for confidence.

Need someone ready to take a game-winning shot or handle the offense in do-or-die situations? Barrett is happy to. It’s why he was so unfazed when a couple of his game-winning shots rimmed out for the Toronto Raptors earlier this month. It’s not that he’s content to miss those shots, but rather he’s content to be the player who steps up in the biggest situations.

“That’s who RJ Barrett is,” he said after nearly draining a game-winning three-pointer against the Denver Nuggets earlier this month.

On Monday, Barrett came through with 15 points in the fourth quarter to hold off a comeback attempt from the Indiana Pacers. It capped off a historic night for the Canadian forward who set a franchise record with 39 points, the most for a Canadian in Raptors history.

What’s clear is Toronto is letting Barrett run the show.

With Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley sidelined, the Raptors have asked Barrett to step into the spotlight and he’s done so at an impressive level. His scoring now sits at 23.2 points per game, the highest of his career, and he’s averaging 6.5 assists, a number nearly double his previous career high.

“It’s always been there,” Barrett said of his ability to playmake as a lead creator. “Just getting to showcase it here.”

There’s a comfort level Barrett seems to be playing with these days. He’s back home in Toronto, no longer attached so directly to his draft value as the No. 3 pick, and away from the pressure cooker of the New York market.

“He’s just playing freely,” said Pacers forward Obi Toppin who spent three seasons playing alongside Barrett in New York. “He's going out there, just having fun and doing what he does best.”

Toppin’s situation wasn’t all that different a few years back.

He came into the league as an exciting No. 8 pick who never quite found a role in New York. It wasn’t until the Knicks moved on that the 26-year-old carved out a niche for himself as a very good offensive wing off the bench for the Pacers.

“He don't have that pressure of New York, New York media, New York everything,” Toppin said of Barrett. “It's just him and basketball right now. Feels like he's been doing a good job of that this year.”

Barrett wouldn’t ever criticize New York, the Knicks, or his former coach Tom Thibodeau. That’s simply not who he is. But it’s clear today that Barrett is where he wants to be, in an organization that’s giving him more opportunities to show everything he can do.

The results?

“You see a very happy man over here,” he said smiling Monday night.