RJ Barrett

[doordoor123]

Barrett has his issues, but I wouldn’t jump the gun and say they’re that bad. If he makes better decisions when driving and starts making his jumper he’s an all-star type talent. If he develops his handle he’s a multiple-time all-star. So yeah, he has stuff to learn, but it’s not undoable, especially for the number 1 recruit out of high school and the godson of Steve Nash. I’m convinced he’s playing out of position, I think he’s more of an undersized 4 than a wing.

[Alatan]

RJ's turning into a pretty elite rebounding wing at this point...8.8 boards per 40.

also, I wonder how many players in college have put up at least 24.8/8.8/4.7...pretty positive that list is very short...and he's doing it as a FS.

Is that translatable to the NBA or is it a scheme thing? He doesnt have a big reach, long arms or elite jumping so i suspect its a team thing. Either way thats what and extra rebound from the wing/guard spot at best? Its a poor reward for having a matador black hole on your team.

of course his rebounding is translatable.

and I'm not really sure why you have such a hard vendetta against the guy. we're all aware of the fact that he can be a blackhole offensively...but to act like he's not having an incredible year and moreover is a great prospect in his own right is ludicrous.

I really dislike overhyped chucklords who play statball. Thats why i have a vendetta.

[King Ken]

RJ's turning into a pretty elite rebounding wing at this point...8.8 boards per 40.

also, I wonder how many players in college have put up at least 24.8/8.8/4.7...pretty positive that list is very short...and he's doing it as a FS.

The most underrated prospect on this sub. It's clear he is not the tier of Zion but damn, he is an ++ scorer and playmaker for position with rebounding chops and can get some steals when he locks in. He is a rare prospect. Now, he doesn't have the wiggle or bake on the dribble drive and is similar to DD with a worse first step but elite 2nd and 3rd step, he is a heck of a playmaker out of the PnR. His ability to see the entire floor is rare for his position and it opens up his slashing lanes. I don't see how this guy doesn't become a 25+PPG. His set shot looks pretty good. He can get his from all three levels. He will never be efficient like Kobe based on his insane volume and takes a lot of tough contested shots but he gets in position to get the ball time and time again like Kobe did.

He is as close of a prospect I've seen to Kobe as a prospect. Now he is clearly not Kobe but he has the traits and like Kobe, he has the potential to be a three tier stat stuffer. That's not easy to find. You can cry about his overall impact but he has a BPM of 7.8. That's elite for a freshman SG prospect who was a #1 option. For SG's in college, you got only Malik Monk and Jamal Murray with a higher BPM who both were high level college shooters as well as scorers and really poor on the defensive end. Barrett is a high end on ends for a true freshman. Only few true FR players like Zhaire Smith rated higher. A lot of people sleeping on R.J. He almost never sits during important games and he is consistently healthy. Never misses a game and physically tough.

R.J. is a rare prospect. Keep sleeping on him Realgmers.

[Nazrmohamed]

RJ is not gonna change. He's gonna be a selfish chucker in the NBA. Guys like him rarely change. Barrett will NOT be the best player on his team next year. He will not accept that since he's definitely NOT accepting that now at Duke with Zion.

Barrett is still a piss poor defender, weak jump shot, soft, and weak ISO game. I still don't get why he's number 3 knowing this crap from him. Zion returned and Barrett is right back to chucking. He didn't learn anything from Zion's absence.

I have Jarrett Culver as the third pick now.

Uh, he’s better than Culver and younger.

The biggest problem is people watch every Duke game and have seen these other guys maybe only on highlights. Culver has had way more crap the bed games than RJ and he is the clear best player.

- Jarrett Culver being 2 years older than Barrett is not a problem to me. 20 years old for Culver is still damn young.

- So people watch Duke more. Of course, it's Duke. RJ Barrett knew what he was doing when he chose to go there. He wanted to play with Zion and Cam Reddish and be seen. It was on purpose. He knew he was gonna be scrutinized.

- Yes, Culver has had crap games. Of course, he IS the best player on Texas Tech. He doesn't have Zion and Cam Reddish. Opposing teams keyed in on Culver. Culver's situation at Texas Tech is similar to what Ja Morant is in right now with Murray State where their teammates are not NBA prospects. Morant's teammate, Shaq Buchanan, might be a late 2nd rounder though. I mean, he is OVC's Defensive Player of the Year. Buchanan earned a look.

What is RJ Barrett's excuse? None. He has Zion and Reddish. His other teammates are not slouches either. He shouldn't be having way too many bad games. And why? RJ purposely chose to chuck shots and be the Man.

-Culver has a post up fade away. He even has the MJ/Kobe footwork to go with that. I was shocked to see that. That's a Hall of Fame move. He also has pull up jump shot and he's the better defender. Barrett doesn't have that stuff. Culver can be a perennial All Star if he can get proficient with that fade away.

1) Zion
2) Ja
3) Jarrett Culver

Those are my rankings for now. RJ Barrett is not coming back into my Top 3. He can stay on yours. That's cool. I'm not here to persuade anyone. I just know what I'm seeing.

You didnt really prove that Culver is better so much as you proved the reasons why Culver might be a hater. Look, if you dont wanna pick in the top 3 and rather get the best pick 5 in the draft be my guest but there arent 3 players better in this draft than RJ.

I'd almost rather you argue with the weakness of this draft than spin Culver as a better player. Cmon with that. I will say Culver is a better shooter though.

[clyde21]

Is that translatable to the NBA or is it a scheme thing? He doesnt have a big reach, long arms or elite jumping so i suspect its a team thing. Either way thats what and extra rebound from the wing/guard spot at best? Its a poor reward for having a matador black hole on your team.

of course his rebounding is translatable.

and I'm not really sure why you have such a hard vendetta against the guy. we're all aware of the fact that he can be a blackhole offensively...but to act like he's not having an incredible year and moreover is a great prospect in his own right is ludicrous.

I really dislike overhyped chucklords who play statball. Thats why i have a vendetta.

he has a tendency to ball hog that's for sure but he's getting better in that department, and you don't average over 4 assists per game in college if you're not passing the ball.

[Funcrusher]

I've been hard on RJ but I don't understand why anyone would have a vendetta against the guy, or any player for that matter. Regardless of whether you like his game (i certainly don't) he's one of the most NBA ready prospects in this draft and has top-5 level talent. The question is and has always been his mentality/IQ which will determine his ceiling.

[Stillwater]

Is that translatable to the NBA or is it a scheme thing? He doesnt have a big reach, long arms or elite jumping so i suspect its a team thing. Either way thats what and extra rebound from the wing/guard spot at best? Its a poor reward for having a matador black hole on your team.

of course his rebounding is translatable.

and I'm not really sure why you have such a hard vendetta against the guy. we're all aware of the fact that he can be a blackhole offensively...but to act like he's not having an incredible year and moreover is a great prospect in his own right is ludicrous.

I really dislike overhyped chucklords who play statball. Thats why i have a vendetta.

I don't like "chucklords " either...but I don't think he fits that category as much as I did early on. I think he is the highest IQ player on that roster and gets himself in position to make buckets/rb's or dimes and is not at all as selfish as it seems even though he carries a heavy scoring load. He is in fact the best option along with Zion so any scrutiny about him hoggin it is irrelevant as it pertains to the next level unless somehow he isn't the best option or 2nd option wherever he goes as that will be his role anyway. What he needs to do is clamp down more on defense

[The Box Office]

Uh, he’s better than Culver and younger.

The biggest problem is people watch every Duke game and have seen these other guys maybe only on highlights. Culver has had way more crap the bed games than RJ and he is the clear best player.

- Jarrett Culver being 2 years older than Barrett is not a problem to me. 20 years old for Culver is still damn young.

- So people watch Duke more. Of course, it's Duke. RJ Barrett knew what he was doing when he chose to go there. He wanted to play with Zion and Cam Reddish and be seen. It was on purpose. He knew he was gonna be scrutinized.

- Yes, Culver has had crap games. Of course, he IS the best player on Texas Tech. He doesn't have Zion and Cam Reddish. Opposing teams keyed in on Culver. Culver's situation at Texas Tech is similar to what Ja Morant is in right now with Murray State where their teammates are not NBA prospects. Morant's teammate, Shaq Buchanan, might be a late 2nd rounder though. I mean, he is OVC's Defensive Player of the Year. Buchanan earned a look.

What is RJ Barrett's excuse? None. He has Zion and Reddish. His other teammates are not slouches either. He shouldn't be having way too many bad games. And why? RJ purposely chose to chuck shots and be the Man.

-Culver has a post up fade away. He even has the MJ/Kobe footwork to go with that. I was shocked to see that. That's a Hall of Fame move. He also has pull up jump shot and he's the better defender. Barrett doesn't have that stuff. Culver can be a perennial All Star if he can get proficient with that fade away.

1) Zion
2) Ja
3) Jarrett Culver

Those are my rankings for now. RJ Barrett is not coming back into my Top 3. He can stay on yours. That's cool. I'm not here to persuade anyone. I just know what I'm seeing.

You didnt really prove that Culver is better so much as you proved the reasons why Culver might be a hater. Look, if you dont wanna pick in the top 3 and rather get the best pick 5 in the draft be my guest but there arent 3 players better in this draft than RJ.

I'd almost rather you argue with the weakness of this draft than spin Culver as a better player. Cmon with that. I will say Culver is a better shooter though.

I don't have to prove anything to you. You can watch the games and see stats for yourself on basketball reference and Youtube. Like I said, RJ can stay on your Top 3. There is nothing wrong with that. However, there is plenty of wrongs for me though. I don't have RJ there and I already kicked him down to pick 6. Culver is the superior defender, better ISO game and a post up fade away; 3 things that RJ simply doesn't have. It's all there on the Youtube videos.

I hands down take RJ Barrett over Garland though all day. Garland is the true overrated player in this draft. It's unbelievable.

[-G-]

I'm trying to figure out why RJ gets knit-picked so much despite putting up 22/7.5/4 as a freshmen. I think it's because he doesn't play like a freshmen' he looks much more polished and like a finished product, so people question the upside. I'm buying on RJ because too many people seem down on him. The guy has his warts, but the guy produces. He's been preparing like a pro his whole life.

[doordoor123]

I'm trying to figure out why RJ gets knit-picked so much despite putting up 22/7.5/4 as a freshmen. I think it's because he doesn't play like a freshmen' he looks much more polished and like a finished product, so people question the upside. I'm buying on RJ because too many people seem down on him. The guy has his warts, but the guy produces. He's been preparing like a pro his whole life.

It’s just because we’re used to seeing top prospects dominating the ball and beating guys off the dribble for a clutch shot. RJ just doesn’t have that skill yet, to use his handle and speed to drive to the basket with a guy on him. Transition is different, superstars get their points in a half-court setting. Barrett also tries to draw fouls instead of passing it out to his open teammates, which leads to inefficiency at times. He’s no finished product and still has stuff to work on, but his upside is clearly elite. I said many times before I think he’s more of an undersized 4 than a 2.

[clyde21]

I'm trying to figure out why RJ gets knit-picked so much despite putting up 22/7.5/4 as a freshmen. I think it's because he doesn't play like a freshmen' he looks much more polished and like a finished product, so people question the upside. I'm buying on RJ because too many people seem down on him. The guy has his warts, but the guy produces. He's been preparing like a pro his whole life.

his style rubs people the wrong way and admittedly it rubbed me the wrong too at the beginning of the year but the RJ we're seeing now isn't the same as the one we saw earlier in the year in that aspect so that's a testament to the development of his BBIQ and mental game IMO.

i think he has a real chance of being a consistent 20/5/5 guy in the NBA the only real question mark is how efficient and how impactful he can actually be at the team level, and that all depends on how his shooting, vision and ISO game develops.

side note...I also don't think this Duke team has been a great fit for him (or even Zion)...very little shooting for a player that loves to drive and attack is just not a good recipe. put him on Virginia for instance instead of Hunter where he has guys like Jerome and Guy spacing for him and where he can drive-kick all day long and he'd probably be posting even better numbers.

[-G-]

I'm trying to figure out why RJ gets knit-picked so much despite putting up 22/7.5/4 as a freshmen. I think it's because he doesn't play like a freshmen' he looks much more polished and like a finished product, so people question the upside. I'm buying on RJ because too many people seem down on him. The guy has his warts, but the guy produces. He's been preparing like a pro his whole life.

It’s just because we’re used to seeing top prospects dominating the ball and beating guys off the dribble for a clutch shot. RJ just doesn’t have that skill yet, to use his handle and speed to drive to the basket with a guy on him. Transition is different, superstars get their points in a half-court setting. Barrett also tries to draw fouls instead of passing it out to his open teammates, which leads to inefficiency at times. He’s no finished product and still has stuff to work on, but his upside is clearly elite. I said many times before I think he’s more of an undersized 4 than a 2.

Ya, he does kind of remind me of Kobe from a technical standpoint, he just doesn't get by people. I think he's underrated as a passer, though. Ya, he forces shots, but his aggressiveness is part of the deal. I'd also note Duke's spacing is awful for RJ in terms of driving, he's got 3 non-shooters in the starting line-up, so everyone is packing it in.

[doordoor123]

I'm trying to figure out why RJ gets knit-picked so much despite putting up 22/7.5/4 as a freshmen. I think it's because he doesn't play like a freshmen' he looks much more polished and like a finished product, so people question the upside. I'm buying on RJ because too many people seem down on him. The guy has his warts, but the guy produces. He's been preparing like a pro his whole life.

It’s just because we’re used to seeing top prospects dominating the ball and beating guys off the dribble for a clutch shot. RJ just doesn’t have that skill yet, to use his handle and speed to drive to the basket with a guy on him. Transition is different, superstars get their points in a half-court setting. Barrett also tries to draw fouls instead of passing it out to his open teammates, which leads to inefficiency at times. He’s no finished product and still has stuff to work on, but his upside is clearly elite. I said many times before I think he’s more of an undersized 4 than a 2.

Ya, he does kind of remind me of Kobe from a technical standpoint, he just doesn't get by people. I think he's underrated as a passer, though. Ya, he forces shots, but his aggressiveness is part of the deal. I'd also note Duke's spacing is awful for RJ in terms of driving, he's got 3 non-shooters in the starting line-up, so everyone is packing it in.

I wouldn’t say Kobe just because Kobe was really explosive and only stopped getting to the basket when he improved his footwork and post game. But the main reason I wouldn’t say Kobe is because it’s a different game completely. The speed, the types of shots, the defense and the pacing is different in this era. You do have a point with the lack of shooters on the team. The NBA also has more space in the paint with the 3 second in the paint rule. So it’s possible his game is considerably better in the NBA.

[-G-]

It’s just because we’re used to seeing top prospects dominating the ball and beating guys off the dribble for a clutch shot. RJ just doesn’t have that skill yet, to use his handle and speed to drive to the basket with a guy on him. Transition is different, superstars get their points in a half-court setting. Barrett also tries to draw fouls instead of passing it out to his open teammates, which leads to inefficiency at times. He’s no finished product and still has stuff to work on, but his upside is clearly elite. I said many times before I think he’s more of an undersized 4 than a 2.

Ya, he does kind of remind me of Kobe from a technical standpoint, he just doesn't get by people. I think he's underrated as a passer, though. Ya, he forces shots, but his aggressiveness is part of the deal. I'd also note Duke's spacing is awful for RJ in terms of driving, he's got 3 non-shooters in the starting line-up, so everyone is packing it in.

I wouldn’t say Kobe just because Kobe was really explosive and only stopped getting to the basket when he improved his footwork and post game. But the main reason I wouldn’t say Kobe is because it’s a different game completely. The speed, the types of shots, the defense and the pacing is different in this era. You do have a point with the lack of shooters on the team. The NBA also has more space in the paint with the 3 second in the paint rule. So it’s possible his game is considerably better in the NBA.

I was referring more to his love of attacking out of the triple threat in ISO spots - he likes to use jabs, fakes, etc. All solid, technical stuff. He plays like an ISO wing from the previous generations.

[doordoor123]

Ya, he does kind of remind me of Kobe from a technical standpoint, he just doesn't get by people. I think he's underrated as a passer, though. Ya, he forces shots, but his aggressiveness is part of the deal. I'd also note Duke's spacing is awful for RJ in terms of driving, he's got 3 non-shooters in the starting line-up, so everyone is packing it in.

I wouldn’t say Kobe just because Kobe was really explosive and only stopped getting to the basket when he improved his footwork and post game. But the main reason I wouldn’t say Kobe is because it’s a different game completely. The speed, the types of shots, the defense and the pacing is different in this era. You do have a point with the lack of shooters on the team. The NBA also has more space in the paint with the 3 second in the paint rule. So it’s possible his game is considerably better in the NBA.

I was referring more to his love of attacking out of the triple threat in ISO spots - he likes to use jabs, fakes, etc. All solid, technical stuff. He plays like an ISO wing from the previous generations.

Oh yeah, agreed. I wasn’t sure you were being that specific. Yeah, like Kobe he uses the triple threat to get angles. And that’s what he’s really elite at, getting the perfect angles. Cassius Winston is also really good at that.

[pelifan]

side note...I also don't think this Duke team has been a great fit for him (or even Zion)...very little shooting for a player that loves to drive and attack is just not a good recipe. put him on Virginia for instance instead of Hunter where he has guys like Jerome and Guy spacing for him and where he can drive-kick all day long and he'd probably be posting even better numbers.

I mean no he wouldnt because Virginia plays at a snail's pace.

I'm still undecided on Barrett. I've seen some flashes, but stylistically it's been rough. He's not going to be able to just out athlete NBA guys. His only real move right now is to go left and dip his shoulder and bang a little if you didnt create enough space.

I feel like we've seen enough freshman put up big numbers and disappoint in the NBA that we can add a little salt and look at the player/system they play in (where Barrett and Zion are the only scoring options). Im not going to just King Ken deify every highly touted freshman who puts on a Duke jersey.

[VanWest82]

I think the biggest key for RJ to succeed at the next level is going to be developing his jumper off the dribble. It sounds obvious, but I just don't see how he's going to be able to break anyone down otherwise. He's too slow, and lacks the kind of natural handle and fluid hips to get guys off balance.

If he can add an outside jump shot he can get guys off their feet and chasing him off the line which will allow him to get into the paint where he's much more effective.

I've killed him repeatedly for his defense, and it's been really bad at times but I think he'll eventually be ok there playing less minutes in the NBA. He has good size for a wing and most young players struggle making defensive reads, especially lead ball handlers for some reason. NBA coaching should straighten him out.

[916fan]

I'm trying to figure out why RJ gets knit-picked so much despite putting up 22/7.5/4 as a freshmen. I think it's because he doesn't play like a freshmen' he looks much more polished and like a finished product, so people question the upside. I'm buying on RJ because too many people seem down on him. The guy has his warts, but the guy produces. He's been preparing like a pro his whole life.

Nitpick is the wrong word. However, a few people dislike RJ because he has a very scoring oriented mentality. He's got one of the most dominant college basketball players on his team, but he continually puts it on himself to force up shots. Zion has 13 FGA compared to Barrett's 18.6 FGA. Fans here are souring on that mentality and it makes some question whether or not he could be effective in the NBA without being the #1 option. His scoring efficiency is pretty average. His offense is mostly drives to the basket, and it's not flashy to watch. His jump shot is a work in progress. His ft% is also below average.

I still like him, but I think Ja's game has surpassed his as a prospect. I keep going back and forth between the two.

[clyde21]

side note...I also don't think this Duke team has been a great fit for him (or even Zion)...very little shooting for a player that loves to drive and attack is just not a good recipe. put him on Virginia for instance instead of Hunter where he has guys like Jerome and Guy spacing for him and where he can drive-kick all day long and he'd probably be posting even better numbers.

I mean no he wouldnt because Virginia plays at a snail's pace.

I'm still undecided on Barrett. I've seen some flashes, but stylistically it's been rough. He's not going to be able to just out athlete NBA guys. His only real move right now is to go left and dip his shoulder and bang a little if you didnt create enough space.

I feel like we've seen enough freshman put up big numbers and disappoint in the NBA that we can add a little salt and look at the player/system they play in (where Barrett and Zion are the only scoring options). Im not going to just King Ken deify every highly touted freshman who puts on a Duke jersey.

snails pace or not his efficiency numbers would look more like Hunter's while at least posting similar box score metrics. Hunter finishes at a better rate at the rim but not because he's a better finisher than RJ but because he has more room to operate inside because of the aforementioned shooters.

[pelifan]

side note...I also don't think this Duke team has been a great fit for him (or even Zion)...very little shooting for a player that loves to drive and attack is just not a good recipe. put him on Virginia for instance instead of Hunter where he has guys like Jerome and Guy spacing for him and where he can drive-kick all day long and he'd probably be posting even better numbers.

I mean no he wouldnt because Virginia plays at a snail's pace.

I'm still undecided on Barrett. I've seen some flashes, but stylistically it's been rough. He's not going to be able to just out athlete NBA guys. His only real move right now is to go left and dip his shoulder and bang a little if you didnt create enough space.

I feel like we've seen enough freshman put up big numbers and disappoint in the NBA that we can add a little salt and look at the player/system they play in (where Barrett and Zion are the only scoring options). Im not going to just King Ken deify every highly touted freshman who puts on a Duke jersey.

snails pace or not his efficiency numbers would look more like Hunter's while at least posting similar box score metrics. Hunter finishes at a better rate at the rim but not because he's a better finisher than RJ but because he has more room to operate inside because of the aforementioned shooters.

I’m not so sure about that. Spacing doesn’t mean as much in college as it does in the NBA and you’re also taking away Barrett’s most efficient play type in transition. He also doesn’t really beat his man off the dribble much anyway. Maybe he’s more efficient playing offball with lower usage but playing in the same Duke system hasn’t really hurt Zions efficiency