RJ Barrett will be instrumental in the future of the Knicks

Knicks small forward RJ Barrett has had a relatively strong playoff run this year. Now, Newsday’s Steve Popper wonders if the young swingman, who will be in the first year of a lucrative extension next season, is really a building block for New York’s future.

Popper notes that Barrett’s three-point shooting has been on a decline for years now, from 40.1% two years ago to 31.0% in 2022/23. Also, Barrett isn’t quite the passerby some had hoped he would become.