In five of his last six games, Barrett has seen his minutes drop below 30 – a significant drop since he was leading the league in terms of playing time three weeks ago.
The familiar 107-89 defeat in Orlando on Wednesday night became the biggest headache in Barrett’s continued reduction in role.
The third pick in the 2019 draft was playing very well and had helped the Knicks gain a double-digit lead in the first quarter.
In the win over the Hawks on Monday, Barrett hit two giant 3-pointers at the end of the game. But on Wednesday, as the Knicks tried to organize a rally in the fourth quarter, coach Tom Thibodeau ignored Barrett. He didn’t come in for two minutes, and by then the Magic had increased by 15 and it was all but over. Barrett finished with 15 points.
Thibodeau explained that rookie defense unit Immanuel Quickley and Alec Burks had begun to revive the club and had reduced the deficit to 10 points before Orlando roared again.