A “weird” summer for Knicks swingman RJ Barrett may have led to his slow start to the season, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Barrett went through weeks of hearing his name floated in a potential trade to Utah for Donovan Mitchell. When Mitchell ended up in Cleveland, the Knicks quickly reversed course and worked out a contract extension with Barrett.
He admits being cautious during most of the offseason with no extension in place and so much uncertainty regarding his future.
“It was weird, not really getting to even play runs like I normally do,” Barrett said. “Really just going the whole time without basketball. It was a little weird. Got it done, trying to figure it out a little bit. Have a long way to go. Have to keep working. At the end of the day, you’ve got to play basketball, man. I was still working out, but there’s no shape like game shape. Playing the games, getting used to that again, is the best thing.”
Barrett began the season in a long shooting slump, but he’s turned that around as New York has strung together six straight wins. During those games, Barrett is connecting at 43.1% from the field and 41.2% on three-pointers.
“Honestly, I play with the same confidence game in and game out,” he said. “Even when I wasn’t shooting it well, I was probably still shooting the same amount of shots. Doesn’t matter. You get open shots, you shoot them. You work at this game hard enough, you do it for a number of years, your confidence is always there.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Derrick Rose is currently out of the team’s rotation, but he remains a hero in Chicago, Popper notes in a separate story. Bulls fans chanted for the former MVP to get playing time in the closing minutes of Friday’s blowout and cheered when coach Tom Thibodeau responded by sending Rose to the scorer’s table.
- Quentin Grimes supports Thibodeau’s decision to make him earn his minutes after a foot injury forced him to miss almost all of training camp and the start of the season, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The Knicks are 8-5 since Grimes became a starter, and like Barrett, he’s enjoying his best stretch of the season during the winning streak.
- The Knicks are one of the few remaining teams that doesn’t practice load management, observes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and Barrett have appeared in all 29 games this season. “It used to be a big deal to play 82,” Thibodeau said. “And when you talk to the guys that have done it, they always say that you condition your body to do what you want it to do.”
Don’t agree with pushing yourself when you are hurt. The body needs time to heal. You can help it with conditioning. But you have to think long term. Missing a few gms shouldn’t be a big deal. The season is a marathon not a sprint. Especially when you are thinking playoffs. Worse injuries happen when you are not 100% or right.
I’ve said it since last yr. Grimes gets that handle tight. Then the sky is the limit. He came into SL leaner and more confident. Fact he plays both ways. He can take over that SG spot. Keep at it brother.
Agreed. The roster is deep for a reason, utilize it the right way. Thibs has a bad habit of sticking with guys having bad games for extended min. But he got the memo and has the right rotation set. But what happens when Obi comes back?…
I’ve been watching NBA and the Knicks since the 70’s. If you’re hurt you don’t play. That’s it. For all the talk about athletes being better conditioned and stronger they should be able to play 82 games. And now they are trying to limit back to backs
I agree. But it’s self fulfilling.
Modern FO’s don’t know how to distinguish between injury (you don’t play) and pain/ discomfort (which used to be played through), because it can be hard and the realities of modern NBA (vs the 1970s, when the regular season meant more, in the standings and more importantly financially) don’t make it essential that they do. They can get away with just sitting any player not 100%, and in fact it’s the safest path for them. That, in turn, results in players not playing much through any imperfection in their condition, and thus usually being ineffective when they try. That ineffectiveness in turn justifies either the FO or the player himself, or the HC, sitting them out when they’re not perfect.
The story of the NYK season so far is The Accension of the Thibettes (IQ, Grimes, McBride and Sims). Each was a late draft pick in which Thibs was the single most influential voice (Grimes and McBride in particular). They all fit Thibs’ style of play, and have immersed themselves in the team’s merit-based culture. All 4 have now ascended into the rotation. In short, we now have a critical mass Thibs’ guys, sufficient for us to be Thibs’ team.
Fittingly, much of this brought about by the 2021 draft (you know, the one the 2k’ers, Thibs’ mortal enemies, threw tantrums over for 2 weeks).
It really separates the men from the boys playing all 82… a real shame some players like Kawhi don’t care ’bout the RS, maybe he should find something to care for in his life, right?
RJ Barrett this season:
19.6/5.2/2.9
41/31/77
34 mpg
12.8 PER
-2.2 BPM
.519 TS%
Those are horrendous efficiency numbers – when your BPM is just a shade above Tre Jones and Caris LeVert … things aren’t going well.
Maybe dude can bounce back (my fingers are crossed) but this is year 4 of a very similar stat-line developing.
I would trade him for siakam/anunoby and picks
In todays NBA. You have to manage the injuries. You need to know who the babies are. You have to have a good team of doctors and trainers. So you protect your investment and get the most out of their talent. They are under your contract. So yes you do need to manage them. Just look at AD and Khwai.
RJ having another big gm against Pacers. Good gm playing now.