RJ Barrett

Post #401 » by **Ruzious** » Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:04 pm

It really doesn't matter who he compares to. What matters is how good he is. And Barrett's a no doubt about it great player who still needs to prove how good a shooter he'll be in the NBA. If he keeps getting better, he'll challenge Zion for the first pick.

tidho · Post #402 » by **tidho** » Thu Dec 20, 2018 9:32 pm

Paul Pierce.

Anyway, RJ is outstanding and continuing to get better. Top of my board because I think he can be a guy in the NBA that you run your entire offense through, and who can close a game at crunch time.

Funcrusher · Post #403 » by **Funcrusher** » Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:11 pm

Ruzious wrote:It really doesn't matter who he compares to. What matters is how good he is. And Barrett's a no doubt about it great player who still needs to prove how good a shooter he'll be in the NBA. If he keeps getting better, he'll challenge Zion for the first pick.

He needs to prove a lot more than that, especially if he wants to challenge Zion as the #1 pick.

Post #404 » by **Ruzious** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 3:41 pm

Funcrusher wrote:
Ruzious wrote:It really doesn't matter who he compares to. What matters is how good he is. And Barrett's a no doubt about it great player who still needs to prove how good a shooter he'll be in the NBA. If he keeps getting better, he'll challenge Zion for the first pick.

He needs to prove a lot more than that, especially if he wants to challenge Zion as the #1 pick.

Who - other than he and Zion - has a realistic chance at being a top 2 pick?

eminence · Post #405 » by **eminence** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 4:10 pm

Ruzious wrote:
Funcrusher wrote:
Ruzious wrote:It really doesn't matter who he compares to. What matters is how good he is. And Barrett's a no doubt about it great player who still needs to prove how good a shooter he'll be in the NBA. If he keeps getting better, he'll challenge Zion for the first pick.

He needs to prove a lot more than that, especially if he wants to challenge Zion as the #1 pick.

Who - other than he and Zion - has a realistic chance at being a top 2 pick?

The guy who pretty definitively outplayed him head to head yesterday seems like a decent place to start.

Post #406 » by **Ruzious** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 4:19 pm

eminence wrote:
Ruzious wrote:
Funcrusher wrote:He needs to prove a lot more than that, especially if he wants to challenge Zion as the #1 pick.

Who - other than he and Zion - has a realistic chance at being a top 2 pick?

The guy who pretty definitively outplayed him head to head yesterday seems like a decent place to start.

LOL, I've been pushing Culver as one of the top few players in this draft - he's one of my favorite players, but I don't think he has a realistic chance of getting picked ahead of Barrett.

clyde21 · Post #407 » by **clyde21** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 4:45 pm

tidho wrote:Paul Pierce.

Anyway, RJ is outstanding and continuing to get better. Top of my board because I think he can be a guy in the NBA that you run your entire offense through, and who can close a game at crunch time.

Good luck running your offense in the NBA through Barrett. This isn't 2001 anymore.

GameBredAPBT · Post #408 » by **GameBredAPBT** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:03 pm

He has so many similarities with young Kobe, it's just remarkable. The attitude, the build, the style, all of it. Seems to know it too, of course he's been getting compared to him since elementary school, so that doesn't hurt.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not a Jordan/Kobe style 2 guard can be maximized in today's NBA.

GameBredAPBT · Post #409 » by **GameBredAPBT** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:05 pm

clyde21 wrote:
tidho wrote:Paul Pierce.

Anyway, RJ is outstanding and continuing to get better. Top of my board because I think he can be a guy in the NBA that you run your entire offense through, and who can close a game at crunch time.

Good luck running your offense in the NBA through Barrett. This isn't 2001 anymore.

I think he can do it. His offensive IQ is currently off the charts for someone so young. Looks to have lots of potential as a distributor.

Also, prior to becoming a shameless gunner, KB8 was a pretty smart & crafty distributor.

NBA Fan 1234 · Post #410 » by **NBA Fan 1234** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:06 pm

GameBredAPBT wrote:
clyde21 wrote:
tidho wrote:Paul Pierce.

Anyway, RJ is outstanding and continuing to get better. Top of my board because I think he can be a guy in the NBA that you run your entire offense through, and who can close a game at crunch time.

Good luck running your offense in the NBA through Barrett. This isn't 2001 anymore.

I think he can do it. His offensive IQ is currently off the charts for someone so young. Looks to have lots of potential as a distributor.

Also, prior to becoming a shameless gunner, KB8 was a pretty smart & crafty distributor.

His offensive IQ is "off the charts," yet he is still turnover prone like crazy and takes some of the worst shots in college basketball. If you want to find a way to make both of those statements work, go right ahead - I'm open to hearing it. If not, then you can't really say his offensive IQ is "off the charts."

clyde21 · Post #411 » by **clyde21** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:08 pm

GameBredAPBT wrote:
clyde21 wrote:
tidho wrote:Paul Pierce.

Anyway, RJ is outstanding and continuing to get better. Top of my board because I think he can be a guy in the NBA that you run your entire offense through, and who can close a game at crunch time.

Good luck running your offense in the NBA through Barrett. This isn't 2001 anymore.

I think he can do it. His offensive IQ is currently off the charts for someone so young. Looks to have lots of potential as a distributor.

Also, prior to becoming a shameless gunner, KB8 was a pretty smart & crafty distributor.

i'm honestly not seeing the IQ...he's not a dumb basketball player but has no idea how to play off-ball, gets tunnel vision way too often and takes too many bad shots. he doesn't understand how to leverage the players around him (especially given the talent discrepancy on most nights) and makes it harder for everyone else to operate

he's got an outstanding baseline of talent, but I don't like his me-first mentality at all, and it seems like he sucks the life out of Duke's offense more often than he's the engine of it.

now he's still super young and all of these things are fixable, but I don't like this type of player in today's NBA at all.

Post #412 » by **Duke4life831** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:29 pm

Ya I also don't quite get the great offensive IQ thing either. His shot selection is probably worst out of the guys in the lotto and it is very obvious when he's going to pass or not. There is nothing that he has shown where I think, man that dude's understanding of the offense is just on a different level.

Here is thing with RJ. The thought of RJ is great. 6'6 dude that can really score, can jump out of the gym, has that killer mentality that so many of the greats have. But when you put it all together it just doesn't fit.

He's an athlete and can jump, but he needs a straight line and an open lane to show off his athleticism. Which means 95% of the time his athleticism isn't really functional. The dude just gets buckets, but where exactly does he excel? His 3pt shot is very inconsistent, he doesn't have great mid range footwork like a Tatum. He does have good body control and can finish with either hand. But he is an under the basket finisher for the most part in the half court and struggles to get clean looks. He has the mentality that you think you would want in your Star, but that mentality maybe the worst thing about his game though. He is surrounded by stud players but still plays like he is on a one man team and it's clear as day when the offense runs through him, the talent around him gets wasted.

I don't think he's a lost cause, because again I think there is a lot to like about him. A lot of the things you want in a good prospect is there. But he needs to drastically change the way he plays. Not sure that is going to happen. RJ has the game that fits in the early 2000s.

Hoopz Afrik · Post #413 » by **Hoopz Afrik** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:57 pm

I'm going to cosign on the BBIQ, or lack thereof. That seems to be one of the weaker parts of his game. Lost when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Poor positioning on defense. Tunnel vision and seems to script a lot of his moves as opposed to letting things flow.

Post #414 » by **Duke4life831** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 7:11 pm

Here is something that I think sticks out like a sore thumb and shouldnt be much of a surprise to anyone that has watched him this year. Here are his numbers against teams that will probably make the tournament this year (UK, Auburn, Gonzaga, Indiana, TTU), now this is only 5 games so the sample size is still small.

22/6/4 with 3.5 turnovers on 40/26/56 shooting with a 45 TS%. He has 1 more point than shot attempt (112 vs 111).

Again I would love if he was Kobe 2.0. As a Duke fan I want as many Duke studs in the NBA to root for as possible. But lets call a spade a spade here. RJ has looked horrible so far against the better competition so far. He struggles to create separation against any level of competition and tends to settle for ugly contested shots. Im not even getting started on his defense which really appears to be the only weak link in Dukes defense this year. But overall RJ's game has been a negative for Duke this year and Im very sure NBA GMs have taken notice of this as well.

Post #415 » by **Capn'O** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 2:49 pm

He strikes me as more TMac than Kobe. And a smaller one at that.

NBA Fan 1234 · Post #416 » by **NBA Fan 1234** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 2:56 pm

Capn'O wrote:He strikes me as more TMac than Kobe. And a smaller one at that.

You saw my post when MP said this, right? :-?

No way, man. No way.

Post #417 » by **Capn'O** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 4:20 pm

Knickstape1214 wrote:
Capn'O wrote:He strikes me as more TMac than Kobe. And a smaller one at that.

You saw my post when MP said this, right? No way, man. No way.

I haven't. Humor me.

I don't like the other top wings he's been compared to. I don't see nearly the craft of Kobe or even DeRozan and he's a better passer than DeMar. I see a guy with many tools on offense who can put up huge raw numbers but not really the elite head for the game that's going to best utilize those skills.

These factors scream TMac to me.

NBA Fan 1234 · Post #418 » by **NBA Fan 1234** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 5:21 pm

Capn'O wrote:
Knickstape1214 wrote:
Capn'O wrote:He strikes me as more TMac than Kobe. And a smaller one at that.

You saw my post when MP said this, right? No way, man. No way.

I haven't. Humor me.

I don't like the other top wings he's been compared to. I don't see nearly the craft of Kobe or even DeRozan and he's a better passer than DeMar. I see a guy with many tools on offense who can put up huge raw numbers but not really the elite head for the game that's going to best utilize those skills.

These factors scream TMac to me.

Read this page - viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1780523&start=60

Let's not forget that T-Mac carried a team with Pat Garrity as his number 2 to the playoffs. His impact was higher than people want to admit and I'd be surprised if RJ got to that level. Then, game wise, the comp ends before it begins. Totally different players with different athletic attributes, skillsets, and demeanor.

Post #419 » by **Capn'O** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 6:33 pm

Knickstape1214 wrote:
Capn'O wrote:
Knickstape1214 wrote:
You saw my post when MP said this, right? No way, man. No way.

I haven't. Humor me.

I don't like the other top wings he's been compared to. I don't see nearly the craft of Kobe or even DeRozan and he's a better passer than DeMar. I see a guy with many tools on offense who can put up huge raw numbers but not really the elite head for the game that's going to best utilize those skills.

These factors scream TMac to me.

Read this page - viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1780523&start=60

Let's not forget that T-Mac carried a team with Pat Garrity as his number 2 to the playoffs. His impact was higher than people want to admit and I'd be surprised if RJ got to that level. Then, game wise, the comp ends before it begins. Totally different players with different athletic attributes, skillsets, and demeanor.

Meh, I see it more than you do and better than I do with the other comps thrown around. I also have a lesser opinion of TMac than you do as well.

King Ken · Post #420 » by **King Ken** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 10:07 pm

Duke4life831 wrote:Here is something that I think sticks out like a sore thumb and shouldnt be much of a surprise to anyone that has watched him this year. Here are his numbers against teams that will probably make the tournament this year (UK, Auburn, Gonzaga, Indiana, TTU), now this is only 5 games so the sample size is still small.

22/6/4 with 3.5 turnovers on 40/26/56 shooting with a 45 TS%. He has 1 more point than shot attempt (112 vs 111).

Again I would love if he was Kobe 2.0. As a Duke fan I want as many Duke studs in the NBA to root for as possible. But lets call a spade a spade here. RJ has looked horrible so far against the better competition so far. He struggles to create separation against any level of competition and tends to settle for ugly contested shots. Im not even getting started on his defense which really appears to be the only weak link in Dukes defense this year. But overall RJ's game has been a negative for Duke this year and Im very sure NBA GMs have taken notice of this as well.

Such a small sample size but the fact that he hasn't balled is something that stands out. All of the other top rookies last year killed v. Top competition outside of Knox. All of them and it translated to the NBA

By killed I mean performed at a extremely high level. While I can't saying R.J. has.

R.J. is the most frustrating top prospect I've seen with this much talent and ability since Ben Simmons at LSU and would we see Ben differently if he had Zion and Reddish instead?