The Knicks roster has many familiar faces from last season, but also some significant changes. Looking at the veterans the Knicks have lost, the ones they kept and the ones they brought in, there will definitely still be significant competition for minutes.
So how do the Knicks create a cohesive rotation that not only helps their young players develop, but leads to real and exciting basketball? They can start by making RJ Barrett the point of reference.
RJ Barrett is not a point guard. As of now, he’s somewhere between a small forward and a shooting guard, but he has shown extraordinary playing ability.
It might seem like a silly claim at first, but it’s really about Barrett’s strengths. RJ Barrett is much more effective with the ball in hand than without. It’s not very fast for its size and it’s not a knockdown shooter, so it’s limited as a player with no ball. What Barrett does very well is get to the edge. His combination of strength and slimy dribbling allows him to create penetration and draw defenders. There are no other players on the roster who can do this as consistently as Barrett.
Getting Barrett to play with guys like Toppin and Quickley will be a breath of fresh air compared to the space he was forced to operate with last season. Just because he’s not the point guard doesn’t mean he can’t be the focus of the team’s attack.
Many teams use their 2 star guard or small forward as their most used player. Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan all had the highest utilization rate in their respective team.
We know RJ Barrett isn’t that level of player yet, but if the team believes they can do it, they need to start acting. The Knicks did not call RJ Barrett to be Julius Randle’s aide.
If the Knicks can throw the correct formations (formations full of shooters and reels) around Barrett, it could become the formula that brings them success. Success for the Knicks doesn’t mean an overnight title contender, it means a team that is laying the groundwork for future prosperity.