NBA Lakers just sign RJ Barrett for $40.5 million contract… See More…
It was only a week ago when RJ Barrett was called a ‘toxic asset’ on the Zach Lowe Podcast. New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony just called him ‘bland’.
There’s a lot of fuel going to the fire when it comes to what Barrett could use for motivation for how he’s played so far in Toronto.
If you were to tell Knicks fans that in his 6 games since being traded to the Raptors, Barrett is playing the best basketball of his career, they’ll be quick to remind you that “this too shall pass” — citing his inconsistencies with the Knicks in his first four and a half seasons in the NBA.
You can call it a small sample size, you can call it a honeymoon phase — maybe even say this is just the byproduct of being showered with praise and love since arriving home in Toronto — but there’s no question that Barrett is balling.
Through 6 games, Barrett is averaging nearly 22 points per game on ridiculous efficiency, shooting nearly 60% from the field, 53% from three, and finishing on nearly 63% of his 2-point shots — the majority of which are self-created.
He’s provided a much-needed spark to the Raptors offense, which is 4th in the league since the trade that brought Barrett and speedy guard Immanuel Quickley into the fold.
He’s done that by relentlessly getting to the rim, finishing there at an alarming rate, and using that rim pressure to create open shots for his teammates — averaging a career-high in assist percentage as well.
