New York Knicks, RJ Barrett face young talent this weekend

The New York Knicks will experience off versus Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson this weekend in two extra checks for RJ Barrett.

RJ Barrett and the New York Knicks have a large weekend coming up. They perform in Dallas versus the Mavericks on Friday before welcoming the Pelicans to New York on Sunday. In both equally online games, Barrett will be facing off with just one of the very best youthful stars in the NBA — Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson.

Whilst Barrett will not be matched up right with Doncic or Williamson, heading up versus these two will give a barometer for the 20-12 months-outdated to evaluate himself.

If we are judging Barrett by his standing with the nationwide media, he’s not in the exact same stratosphere as Doncic and Williamson, who finished initially and 2nd respectively in ESPN’s 25 beneath 25 NBA rankings. Barrett was still left off the list entirely in favor of players like Jarrett Allen, John Collins, and Tyrese Haliburton.

But if we decide Barrett based on how he is enjoying this season, he certainly justifies to be in the conversation with the league’s very best youthful players.

To be clear, we are not indicating that Barrett is on the exact same level as Doncic or Williamson. He’s not quite there yet. Nonetheless, Barrett is the 2nd-very best participant on a team that is combating for property-courtroom advantage in a initially-spherical playoff sequence. We simply cannot neglect that.

Even nevertheless he struggled in his initially NBA meeting with Williamson (extra on that in a second), Barrett has previously knocked off just one of the league’s very best youthful stars. Very last weekend, he scored fifteen points in the fourth quarter and extra time in a thrilling comeback victory about Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.

He’s averaging 17.2 points, five.seven rebounds, and three. assists for each sport on remarkable .447/.377/.737 shooting splits.

Morant was taken just one decide on prior to Barrett in the 2019 NBA Draft and he checks in at No. fifteen on ESPN’s 25 beneath 25 list. Morant’s final stat line looked prettier than Barrett’s, but it was the clutch-time overall performance that was the main takeaway from the Barrett vs. Morant struggle.

Bounce Back again for RJ Barrett?

Glimpse, Barrett is acquiring a phenomenal season, but we simply cannot ignore his final two online games. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau opted to depart Barrett on the bench down the stretch of Wednesday’s get. The 2nd-12 months wing is 4-for-21 from the discipline and one-for-seven from three in his final two online games.

All season extended, the Knicks have figured out how to bounce again from slumps and losing streaks. Whilst New York is at this time on a four-sport profitable streak, they need to have Barrett to present some of that patented Knicks resilience in advance of this weekend. They need to have him to be at his very best if they want to proceed their profitable ways.

Even if the nationwide narrative doesn’t jive with reality, eager Knicks observers recognize the possible. RJ Barrett nevertheless has a extended way to go to get on the exact same level as Doncic and Williamson, but he has an option to make a statement this weekend.

The Knicks will experience the Mavericks on Friday evening (9:thirty p.m. ET) before returning property to choose on the Pelicans on Sunday (one p.m.).