ROOKIE BARRETT’S BEST DAYS ON BROADWAY STILL TO COME
Expectations were high for Canadian after he was taken third overall by Knicks
Canada set an NBA record for most non-American players on opening day rosters this season. There were 16 in all, as well as four more on two-way contracts, meaning they could split time between the NBA and its development league, the G League. Two more Canadians got called up during the year.
One of the brightest lights of this golden generation of Canuck hoopers is rookie New York Knicks shooting guard RJ Barrett, of Mississauga, Ont.
As the third pick overall in last June’s NBA draft, Barrett had to know the expectations would be high.
Being drafted by the Knicks meant those expectations were inflated even more while at the same time having to — well, there’s no nice way of putting this — play for an organization that has proven incompetent and incapable for the better part of the last 20 years or so.
But the Maple Mamba — a nickname that hasn’t quite taken off — persevered despite another rough Knicks season, just 21 wins in 66 games, Barrett got his NBA feet wet and did not disappoint.
The folks in New York might be a little down on their shiny new toy, who averaged just over 14 points and five rebounds a game with just under three assists a game, but as starved as that fan base has been for as long as they’ve been wanting, that’s almost understandable.
Barrett is the son of former national team member and current Canadian senior men’s team GM Rowan Barrett.
RJ had 13 games of 20 or more points including two in his first three games.
The five games he played in October and the six games he played in March before the season was suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic were easily his best in terms of scoring.
Barrett’s rookie numbers stack up favourably against the best NBA talent Canada has ever produced. Only Andrew Wiggins, who won rookie of the year in 2015 when he averaged 16.9 points, had a better first season in the NBA as a Canadian.
Barrett started 55 of 56 games, missing 10 due to a variety of injuries.
He ranked third among all rookies in scoring behind the likely rookie of the year Ja Morant of Memphis as well as Miami’s Kendrick Nunn. He was fourth in rebounding among rookies and seventh in assists.
He did all this playing on a team that had the fifth youngest roster in the NBA, averaging just under 25 years of age, and also while playing for two head coaches, as David Fizdale was fired after just 22 games on the job and replaced by Mike Miller.
These weren’t ideal conditions for a 19-year-old, but he somehow managed to soldier on through it.
In a perfect world, Barrett would have got his start somewhere else in the NBA.
But as the old saying goes: whatever doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger. Based on that, we’re willing to bet Barrett, considering his enormous talent and a stable upbringing, will only get better as his NBA career continues.
Barrett is the complete package and that will shine through, regardless of who the Knicks put around him. The sooner stability arrives at Madison Square Garden, the sooner Barrett’s talents can be taken advantage of and a real team can be built for the mecca of all sporting venues.
Yes, owner James Dolan remains the monkey at the wheel of the clown car that is the Knicks for the time being, but even on that front there appears to be some hope.
Dolan at least appears to have taken a step back from his dayto-day interfering as he brought in respected player agent Leon Rose to oversee the operations, getting rid of previous yes-man Steve Mills, who was fired in February.
Now, Dolan has shown this stepping-back look before, when he brought in Phil Jackson. That move turned out to be an illusion. The hope is Rose has better luck convincing the wannabe rock star Dolan to stick to his music interests.
The sooner that happens, the sooner the Knicks can get better and the sooner we’ll get to appreciate just how good this young man Barrett can be.
The sooner stability arrives at Madison Square Garden, the sooner Barrett’s talents can be taken advantage of and a real team can be built.