Road to RJ
- Thread starter mafra
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mafra
Legend
The left-handed Canadian has been compared to James Harden because of his scoring ability. Entering his senior season at Montverde (FL) Academy, he led Team Canada to a gold medal in the FIBA U19 World Championship in Egypt, beating a John Calipari-led USA team in the semifinals along the way. Barrett went for 38 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists in that game and then led Canada to its first gold medal on the international stage with a win over Italy in the final.
At Montverde, Barrett guided the team to a perfect 35-0 record as a senior, winning every major national Player of the Year and the GEICO High School Nationals along the way.
Boyle (RJ?s HS Coach, who has coached more top 3 NBA lottery picks since 2011 other than Coach K) last says people conveniently forget ? or don?t want to remember ? that Barrett won those awards, not Zion.
?People forget that R.J. Barrett was the USA Today Player of the Year,? Boyle said. ?It?s almost like you?re not allowed to mention it because that would be not pleasing to Zion.?
Boyle pointed out that Barrett led the ACC in scoring at 23.4 points per game and set the ACC freshman scoring record.
?He created some incredible stats,? Boyle said. ?He?s the all-time leading freshman scorer in the history of the ACC. I mean, who?s done that hasn?t been a star player in the NBA? So I think you?re getting a guy that?s going to be a multiple-time All-Star, a guy that?s incredibly mature on the court and off the court.?
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a fellow Canadian two years older than Barrett, called him an ?elite scorer? who will ?bring happiness to Knicks fans.?
Barrett has also drawn praise from everyone from Jalen Rose to Isiah Thomas to Coach K to Jay Bilas.
?R.J. Barrett could easily be the best player in the draft,? Rose said Wednesday on ESPN?s ?Get Up!? ?If I?m the Knicks, yes I hold on to the pick.?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...layer-in-the-nba-draft-high-school-coach/amp/
As for his character, Boyle said most players playing alongside Zion ?would?ve been upset, bitched and jealous? that Williamson got ?most of the attention.?
Instead, Barrett worked on his game, never got hurt and became best friends with Zion.
?He was happy for his teammate and just kept working and playing,? Boyle said. ?It never affected him one way or the other, and I think that?s an incredibly mature player. And I think that?s an incredible value to any NBA team, that no matter where you fall, or however much attention you get or don?t get, that you?re going to come to work, be productive, be a good teammate and play your butt off every day. I think that tells a lot about the type of career that he?s going to have, whether he ends up being a star level player or a good player. He?s going to be the same guy and compete every day.?
(RJ took over as PG when Trae Jones was out with an injury, running the offense).
At Montverde, Barrett guided the team to a perfect 35-0 record as a senior, winning every major national Player of the Year and the GEICO High School Nationals along the way.
Boyle (RJ?s HS Coach, who has coached more top 3 NBA lottery picks since 2011 other than Coach K) last says people conveniently forget ? or don?t want to remember ? that Barrett won those awards, not Zion.
?People forget that R.J. Barrett was the USA Today Player of the Year,? Boyle said. ?It?s almost like you?re not allowed to mention it because that would be not pleasing to Zion.?
Boyle pointed out that Barrett led the ACC in scoring at 23.4 points per game and set the ACC freshman scoring record.
?He created some incredible stats,? Boyle said. ?He?s the all-time leading freshman scorer in the history of the ACC. I mean, who?s done that hasn?t been a star player in the NBA? So I think you?re getting a guy that?s going to be a multiple-time All-Star, a guy that?s incredibly mature on the court and off the court.?
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a fellow Canadian two years older than Barrett, called him an ?elite scorer? who will ?bring happiness to Knicks fans.?
Barrett has also drawn praise from everyone from Jalen Rose to Isiah Thomas to Coach K to Jay Bilas.
?R.J. Barrett could easily be the best player in the draft,? Rose said Wednesday on ESPN?s ?Get Up!? ?If I?m the Knicks, yes I hold on to the pick.?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...layer-in-the-nba-draft-high-school-coach/amp/
As for his character, Boyle said most players playing alongside Zion ?would?ve been upset, bitched and jealous? that Williamson got ?most of the attention.?
Instead, Barrett worked on his game, never got hurt and became best friends with Zion.
?He was happy for his teammate and just kept working and playing,? Boyle said. ?It never affected him one way or the other, and I think that?s an incredibly mature player. And I think that?s an incredible value to any NBA team, that no matter where you fall, or however much attention you get or don?t get, that you?re going to come to work, be productive, be a good teammate and play your butt off every day. I think that tells a lot about the type of career that he?s going to have, whether he ends up being a star level player or a good player. He?s going to be the same guy and compete every day.?
(RJ took over as PG when Trae Jones was out with an injury, running the offense).
jimkcchief88
All Star
My only concern is how Duke got drug when Zion wasn?t on the floor. NC mopped the floor with Duke as soon as Zion left the floor. Duke didn?t win the ACC conference title or National Championship with a HOF coach and 3 top ten NBA draft picks. Let that sink in for a moment. With all that ?talent? Duke wasn?t even the best team in their own conference. That?s just a fact. Matter of fact they barely got past UCF of it wasn?t for a layup that rimmed out. Johnny Dawkins Jr damn near beat them dropped 30 plus and that 7-6 African kid wasn?t going. I guess you can tell I?m not a Dukie for sure but from what I saw Barret and Reddish weren?t crap when Zion wasn?t on the floor with them on Chief. We need to focus on FA getting Durant and Kyrie because these draft picks while great won?t be able to pull us up out of the NBA gutter
SSj4Wingzero
All Star
I really think he'll be a great player. I see no reason to trade him. How many teams have actually become successful because they traded a top 3 pick?
I said the same, how does a team with 4 first round draft choices and a HOF coach manage not winning the national title but doesn't even make it to the semis. Trey made the right decision going back to school to work on his shot, Cam has a lot to prove, Zion is going to be a defensive demon out of the the gate, we hope RJ comes out like Tatum in his rookie season.My only concern is how Duke got drug when Zion wasn’t on the floor. NC mopped the floor with Duke as soon as Zion left the floor. Duke didn’t win the ACC conference title or National Championship with a HOF coach and 3 top ten NBA draft picks. Let that sink in for a moment. With all that “talent” Duke wasn’t even the best team in their own conference. That’s just a fact. Matter of fact they barely got past UCF of it wasn’t for a layup that rimmed out. Johnny Dawkins Jr damn near beat them dropped 30 plus and that 7-6 African kid wasn’t going. I guess you can tell I’m not a Dukie for sure but from what I saw Barret and Reddish weren’t crap when Zion wasn’t on the floor with them on Chief. We need to focus on FA getting Durant and Kyrie because these draft picks while great won’t be able to pull us up out of the NBA gutter
mafra
Legend
Trey and Cam were awful in the tourney and RJ missed a bunch of shots down the stretch. Coach K didn?t call timeout (to make sure they pounded ball into paint to Zion). Kids are freshman and it happens in basketball. Harden was awful in tourney and busted my bracket. He turned out pretty good.
mafra
Legend
Brendan Suhr, the Knicks? former scouting director and the man who used to run their draft, doesn?t have any misgivings about the club taking 6-foot-7 Duke swingman RJ Barrett as the third pick instead of trading it.
?They better pick him if he?s there,?? Suhr told The Post at the draft combine, which ended Friday.
?RJ has potential to be as good a scoring guard as we?ve had come into the league in the last 10 years. He?s very versatile, with a mentality to score. He?s dominated every level, dominated at the FIBA [International Basketball Federation] level. And he?s got great size. He?s a winner, comes from great basketball and athletic family. You?re getting a great kid. He?s the strongest candidate for that pick.??
?They better pick him if he?s there,?? Suhr told The Post at the draft combine, which ended Friday.
?RJ has potential to be as good a scoring guard as we?ve had come into the league in the last 10 years. He?s very versatile, with a mentality to score. He?s dominated every level, dominated at the FIBA [International Basketball Federation] level. And he?s got great size. He?s a winner, comes from great basketball and athletic family. You?re getting a great kid. He?s the strongest candidate for that pick.??
mafra
Legend
Jay Bilas on Barrett:
?He?s a lot like James Harden in the way he plays, not just the fact that he?s left-handed. But he gets to the basket with ease, and he?s a fabulous finisher, and one of the best rebounding guards in the country.
He can play the point ? people forget he?s had a triple-double this year and could have more. But he?s playing alongside Zion Williamson, so that?s kind of sucked all the air out of the room. When Zion was out, he carried a tremendous load, he never comes out of the game. He never seems to get tired.
He?s not backed down from anything...Nobody?s been able to stop him and he doesn?t take plays off. When other people have been injured or sick or hurt, he?s played every single game. And nobody?s asked about, ?Hey, RJ how do you feel?? He?s always having to make up for somebody else being out. You?ve never heard anybody say, ?Well, we?ve gotta make up for RJ. He?s the guy making up for everybody else. As great as everybody else has been, nobody has been as durable as RJ.?
Durability is huge, after what we?ve seen with the other lottery selections lately.
?He?s a lot like James Harden in the way he plays, not just the fact that he?s left-handed. But he gets to the basket with ease, and he?s a fabulous finisher, and one of the best rebounding guards in the country.
He can play the point ? people forget he?s had a triple-double this year and could have more. But he?s playing alongside Zion Williamson, so that?s kind of sucked all the air out of the room. When Zion was out, he carried a tremendous load, he never comes out of the game. He never seems to get tired.
He?s not backed down from anything...Nobody?s been able to stop him and he doesn?t take plays off. When other people have been injured or sick or hurt, he?s played every single game. And nobody?s asked about, ?Hey, RJ how do you feel?? He?s always having to make up for somebody else being out. You?ve never heard anybody say, ?Well, we?ve gotta make up for RJ. He?s the guy making up for everybody else. As great as everybody else has been, nobody has been as durable as RJ.?
Durability is huge, after what we?ve seen with the other lottery selections lately.
No wonder you hate "The Beard" lol mafra. I read a lot of guys question how good Zion is going to be when Duke flamed out in the tourney asking how great is he when he couldn't single handedly put the Duke team on his back and carry them to the title. Great players can do that but we will see if it defines Zion at the next level.
IF .. the Knicks are lucky to get RJ Barrett with the 3rd pick in the draft .. I became very optimistic watching Barrett and Zion athleticism and team-leadership looking NBA-Ready throughout Duke season. I did not see any weak area in their performance that showed they would have a problem stepping up their performance to NBA level. Matter of fact .. I see Barrett rookie season equally compared to the Mavs Luka Doncic rookie season stats!
Now! Fizdale non-strategic coaching system will be a problem for one of Duke's head-coach Mike Krzyzewski top system students.
Griff is on the road to ruin. AD and his camp are going to do everything possible to force the trade and AD?s trade value can only go down once the season starts. Zion telling a story about AD snubbing him for an autograph when he was a kid and how bad that made him feel is the icing on the cake.
mafra
Legend
This should be about building around Zion. Hey, it would great if AD would commit and sign extension and stay in NO. But, this has to happen before the draft. Pelicans can?t let this linger and let the toxicity infringe in any way upon the ZW era.
He?s either all in or you work a trade to jumpstart the rebuild.
It?s simple and I can?t blame him for trying.
Still, every action should be about catering to Zion... even if that?s at the expense of AD.
He?s either all in or you work a trade to jumpstart the rebuild.
It?s simple and I can?t blame him for trying.
Still, every action should be about catering to Zion... even if that?s at the expense of AD.
The Pelicans are the scary TEAM in this upcoming 2019 Draft? Holding two Aces .. 1st Pick & AD Trade!
The Pelicans has the chance to change (for good or worst) more than just their team on draft night.
Or the Pelicans could just select Zion, and keep denying AD a trade, until FA market open up to give the Pelicans a chance to sign one of the star FA in the off-season.
AD athleticism prove he could control the front-court practically by himself .. AD also know the Pelicans True Holiday need a star tandem partner in the backcourt to help him match-up to the eight (8) teams having star tandem backcourt (Curry/Klay or Harden/CP3 or Lillard /McCollum or Ect.) in the western conference.
I believe AD would announce staying in N.O. after draft night .. if the Pelicans decide to trade Zion for a 2-Way combo-guard to help Holiday run the point in a lineup next season .. How much is the 2019 first pick Zion worth?
Here's the Players AD would like? Lebron? Donovan Mitchell? Bradley Beal? Victor Oladipo? Conley? Tatum & Brown?
mafra
Legend
Article in Post said RJ is cool being the man for Knicks or being wingman for Zion.
Best friends at Montverde, Devoe remains close with Barrett and is well aware of his Williamson bond.
?They love each other for real,? Devoe said. ?They really are brothers. They love being with each other on and off the court and compete with each other. I would imagine they would try to play with each other in the league.?
https://nypost.com/2019/05/22/rj-barrett-would-be-knicks-star-or-happy-zion-wingman-close-friend/
Again, if NO decides AD won?t budge... won?t sign... they?ll naturally approach Zion and seek his input. What if ZW tells NO, ?Get me RJ!????
This is why NYK can?t be ruled out. They may not have next package to offer but they possess something nobody else does: RJ and Mitch.
I mention Robinson bc he is from Louisiana and is more likely to stay than. Brown or Kuzma.
To me, the best reason not to trade RJ is that perhaps it lures ZW to NYC in 5 years... when both are just 24!!!
Best friends at Montverde, Devoe remains close with Barrett and is well aware of his Williamson bond.
?They love each other for real,? Devoe said. ?They really are brothers. They love being with each other on and off the court and compete with each other. I would imagine they would try to play with each other in the league.?
https://nypost.com/2019/05/22/rj-barrett-would-be-knicks-star-or-happy-zion-wingman-close-friend/
Again, if NO decides AD won?t budge... won?t sign... they?ll naturally approach Zion and seek his input. What if ZW tells NO, ?Get me RJ!????
This is why NYK can?t be ruled out. They may not have next package to offer but they possess something nobody else does: RJ and Mitch.
I mention Robinson bc he is from Louisiana and is more likely to stay than. Brown or Kuzma.
To me, the best reason not to trade RJ is that perhaps it lures ZW to NYC in 5 years... when both are just 24!!!
mafra
Legend
The man who recruited RJ Barrett to Duke said his best attribute is his ?competitive streak.??
Jeff Capel, a former Blue Devils assistant and now head coach at Pittsburgh, said he feels Barrett?s game translates better to the pros than it did in college.
?I think the kid is a winner and he?s a competitor. As we went through the recruiting process of looking at RJ, he?s one of those guys that?s wired differently,? Capel said on ?MSG 150? on Wednesday.
?He has this competitive streak that you just can?t teach. And the thing that I loved about him is that he?s always won, he?s used to winning. And he has an impact on winning, whether it was at Montverde [Academy in Florida], representing Canada in international competition and then what he was able to do at Duke this year.?
?I think he?s going to be a great pro,?? Capel said. ?I think he?s been trained from an early age to be a pro. He has an amazing family. His dad [Rowan, who played at St. John?s] has done an amazing job of teaching him the game, teaching him how to work, to conduct and act like a pro. I think his game is tailor-made for the NBA game. It?s more open. I think you will see a little bit more of his creativity and his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.?
Barrett is the only freshman in ACC history to average 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds per game, and he did it while sharing the ball with national phenomenon Zion Williamson. Capel said Barrett didn?t get the credit for surging when Williamson went out with a knee injury.
?I think they?re both great players and certainly I don?t think whoever drafts either one of them can go wrong,?? Capel said. ?I think each franchise will be incredibly happy. I think it?s a testament to RJ that he was able to maintain a level of consistency in being consistently ? really, really good when all the attention was not on him.??
https://nypost.com/2019/05/22/how-rj-barrett-is-wired-differently-duke-recruiter/
Jeff Capel, a former Blue Devils assistant and now head coach at Pittsburgh, said he feels Barrett?s game translates better to the pros than it did in college.
?I think the kid is a winner and he?s a competitor. As we went through the recruiting process of looking at RJ, he?s one of those guys that?s wired differently,? Capel said on ?MSG 150? on Wednesday.
?He has this competitive streak that you just can?t teach. And the thing that I loved about him is that he?s always won, he?s used to winning. And he has an impact on winning, whether it was at Montverde [Academy in Florida], representing Canada in international competition and then what he was able to do at Duke this year.?
?I think he?s going to be a great pro,?? Capel said. ?I think he?s been trained from an early age to be a pro. He has an amazing family. His dad [Rowan, who played at St. John?s] has done an amazing job of teaching him the game, teaching him how to work, to conduct and act like a pro. I think his game is tailor-made for the NBA game. It?s more open. I think you will see a little bit more of his creativity and his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.?
Barrett is the only freshman in ACC history to average 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds per game, and he did it while sharing the ball with national phenomenon Zion Williamson. Capel said Barrett didn?t get the credit for surging when Williamson went out with a knee injury.
?I think they?re both great players and certainly I don?t think whoever drafts either one of them can go wrong,?? Capel said. ?I think each franchise will be incredibly happy. I think it?s a testament to RJ that he was able to maintain a level of consistency in being consistently ? really, really good when all the attention was not on him.??
https://nypost.com/2019/05/22/how-rj-barrett-is-wired-differently-duke-recruiter/
mafra
Legend
Scouts explain why Knicks' Kevin Knox and RJ Barrett could work well together
Barrett's want to head to the bucket, Knox' spot-up shooting complement each other
By Ian Begley | May 23 | 10:00AM
https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/lebr...get-kyrie-irving-in-a-lakers-jersey/307433282
This Knicks offseason can go in many different directions.
New York has more than $70 million in cap space and motivation to land star players. There is cautious optimism about landing Kevin Durant in free agency. For argument's sake, let's say the Knicks sign Durant, another max player like Kyrie Irving, and don't trade for a star player like Anthony Davis.
In that scenario, young players like Kevin Knox and RJ Barrett -- New York's presumptive pick at No. 3 -- would be vital parts of the club's future.
Without knowing the other three players on the floor, it's tough to predict how successful Knox and Barrett would be in lineups together. But a small sampling of scouts revealed reasons for Knicks fans to be optimistic about a Knox-Barrett pairing.
Here are truncated observations from three scouts on how the two wings may fit together:
Pro Scout
"I think (a Barrett-Knox pairing is) fine. Kevin's not really a slasher. I think he kind of wants to catch the ball and shoot it a little more than he wants to catch the ball and put it on the deck and get to the hoop. (Knox was 68th in drives per game among the 107 players to play at least 28 minutes per game last season, per NBA.com). I do think RJ Barrett wants to get to the hoop. That's one of the things I love about him. That's why I think they would work well together."
Bryan Oringher, former Wizards video coordinator and advanced scout with the Hawks and Raptors (who has a great written and video breakdown of Barrett)
"RJ and Knox complement each other relatively well. I think they both fit that 2/3 mold where they can guard either wing and play in a scheme that allows them to switch onto 1s and 4s at times. What Barrett brings that Knox doesn't have is the ability to be a secondary creator. Kind of like an Evan Fournier - Barrett can play out of high PNR, make the right read.
"I think Knox is more like another guy drafted last year - Kevin Huerter. He'll be able to handle the ball a tiny bit, but he's mostly a spot-up shooter, come off some screens. He has a decent stroke that just needs to be honed a ton more. I think Barrett would do well though as the more ball-dominant guy and can get Knox a lot of shots. The fit isn't perfect in that both are really raw, have a long way to go on their handles, shots, and other aspects of their games. And I think their success is obviously contingent on which potential stars they play with and how much they can 'ease' into their roles, potentially off the bench. Both are so young and raw. Also, I don't think either are near outstanding defenders and the Knicks' defense could continue to struggle if they're playing the majority of minutes at the wings."
College scout
"In today's NBA, RJ can play 1-4. So there's no reason it won't work well on offense. Barrett has always played with talent around him and been great. Nobody is gonna slow that kid down?. I think you really want to get Barrett going downhill. He's almost impossible to stop in the lane and that can create opportunities for Kevin. The questions are on defense, of course. Both have the frame to be able to defend. It's just a matter of learning to do it at the NBA level."
Barrett's want to head to the bucket, Knox' spot-up shooting complement each other
By Ian Begley | May 23 | 10:00AM
https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/lebr...get-kyrie-irving-in-a-lakers-jersey/307433282
This Knicks offseason can go in many different directions.
New York has more than $70 million in cap space and motivation to land star players. There is cautious optimism about landing Kevin Durant in free agency. For argument's sake, let's say the Knicks sign Durant, another max player like Kyrie Irving, and don't trade for a star player like Anthony Davis.
In that scenario, young players like Kevin Knox and RJ Barrett -- New York's presumptive pick at No. 3 -- would be vital parts of the club's future.
Without knowing the other three players on the floor, it's tough to predict how successful Knox and Barrett would be in lineups together. But a small sampling of scouts revealed reasons for Knicks fans to be optimistic about a Knox-Barrett pairing.
Here are truncated observations from three scouts on how the two wings may fit together:
Pro Scout
"I think (a Barrett-Knox pairing is) fine. Kevin's not really a slasher. I think he kind of wants to catch the ball and shoot it a little more than he wants to catch the ball and put it on the deck and get to the hoop. (Knox was 68th in drives per game among the 107 players to play at least 28 minutes per game last season, per NBA.com). I do think RJ Barrett wants to get to the hoop. That's one of the things I love about him. That's why I think they would work well together."
Bryan Oringher, former Wizards video coordinator and advanced scout with the Hawks and Raptors (who has a great written and video breakdown of Barrett)
"RJ and Knox complement each other relatively well. I think they both fit that 2/3 mold where they can guard either wing and play in a scheme that allows them to switch onto 1s and 4s at times. What Barrett brings that Knox doesn't have is the ability to be a secondary creator. Kind of like an Evan Fournier - Barrett can play out of high PNR, make the right read.
"I think Knox is more like another guy drafted last year - Kevin Huerter. He'll be able to handle the ball a tiny bit, but he's mostly a spot-up shooter, come off some screens. He has a decent stroke that just needs to be honed a ton more. I think Barrett would do well though as the more ball-dominant guy and can get Knox a lot of shots. The fit isn't perfect in that both are really raw, have a long way to go on their handles, shots, and other aspects of their games. And I think their success is obviously contingent on which potential stars they play with and how much they can 'ease' into their roles, potentially off the bench. Both are so young and raw. Also, I don't think either are near outstanding defenders and the Knicks' defense could continue to struggle if they're playing the majority of minutes at the wings."
College scout
"In today's NBA, RJ can play 1-4. So there's no reason it won't work well on offense. Barrett has always played with talent around him and been great. Nobody is gonna slow that kid down?. I think you really want to get Barrett going downhill. He's almost impossible to stop in the lane and that can create opportunities for Kevin. The questions are on defense, of course. Both have the frame to be able to defend. It's just a matter of learning to do it at the NBA level."