Obi Toppin is the New York Knicks prized rookie this year, and he deserves all of the hype, but the Knicks progress depends on the development of last year's prized rookie, RJ Barrett.
According to Basketball Reference, last season RJ Barrett shot 40.2% from the field, 30% from three, and 61.4% from the free-throw line. To make a leap, Barrett will need to improve in all these areas. If RJ can increase his free-throw percentage to about 70% and raise his three-point percentage to about 35%, he can add approximately four points to his scoring average. RJ averaged 13 shot attempts per game last season. With an increased amount of attempts at the basket and a with a leap in the previously mentioned percentages, he can easily average 20 points per game.
Another area I believe RJ needs to improve is his assist percentage. RJ averaged 2.6 assists per game last season. The Knicks shot terrible from the field last season (44.7%), so his low assist output is partly due to the Knicks poor shooting percentage, but RJ has the skill to average more assists per game. Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks Head Coach,
stated that he wants to see RJ become an all-around player, of which he has the ability.
If RJ can raise his percentages and work on a little more ball distribution, I believe he can make a significant leap, which will help expedite the Knicks development into a reputable team.
Ok, RJ. Let's get it!