Official RJ Barrett Thread

[Kingsway_fan]

Second best player on Team Canada... arguably best on this team... He, Dick, and IQ.. lots of offense there!

[MEDIC]

It's great that RJ is still performing at this level. It answers some questions that many of us had based on his stint with the team last season. It's even better that he's still scoring efficiently and showing an ability to handle increased playmaking responsibilities.

However, is it hating to still have questions about what his role will be on a good team? It's not his fault he hasn't been able to play with Scottie and IQ so far (which may or may not be the makings of a "good team"), but will he keep up this kind of production when he does? If he doesn't, will his contributions have a positive impact on winning?

It's not like he's a pure empty calories guy chucking and putting up 25 points on 25 shots, but at the same time, his winning percentage with the Raptors has to be around 30-35%.

Is he actually a superstar who is going to put up an efficient 28 ppg, and the haters just need to adjust to that?

Or is he still going to end up the 3rd/4th best player on the team? If that's what happens, is that a good thing? Can he be effective in that role? Is he better off being a 6th man?

Is it hating to ask those questions?

If the answer to those questions is we don't know and we kind of don't need to know yet, I guess that's fine, but sometimes it seems like people think we shouldn't even be asking.

I don't think people should be asking these questions at all. It's way too pre-mature. I feel like people are simply jumping to conclusions based on some kind of bias that they have.

We are basically in the 1st year of a rebuild with a new coach, several new players & a bunch of rookies. How are we in a position to evaluate the future? We haven't even seen a full season of basketball & we haven't even seen the starting lineup play for any kind of significant stretch. I am also not seeing these kinds of questions pop up about Quickly. It seems to be RJ only. Even after he plays like a legit allstar, team leader & by far the best player on the team, certain posters still show negativity bias. The guy is also 3-5 years away from his prime.

It's just bizzaro world to me. I can't understand it.

I plan to enjoy watching these young guys develop as individuals & develop as a team. RJ at no point has been a problem that needs to be solved.

We have a bunch of young pieces & we are slowly trying to figure out how they all fit together. So far RJ has been a great fit with Scottie, Quick & last night he had great chemistry with Gradey.

So far I have see a high IQ player that is, young, very aggressive & can put the ball in the hoop in a highly efficient way.

I guess it's this new "instant gratification" world that we live in. People really need to learn to practice patience. Something Colangelo didn't have. He made moves for the sake of making moves. Thank gawd Masai is running things now.

[MEDIC]

I think ppl forget how young RJ is and how **** of a situation he was in entering the league. When was the last time NYK drafted and developed a top end talent? Give him some time and let him get his reps. If he can continue to work on his tunnel vision and bad shots he is easily an All-star level player.

Derozan with 3pt shooting and not disappearing in the playoffs.

DeRozan probably isn't a hot comparison in terms of style. Barrett seems to be much, much better at getting to the rim than DDR ever was at any point in his career except his 6.6 FGA/g rookie season. Aesthetically, they aren't very similar at all.

For me personally, the comparison comes more from position, size, scoring output, lack of a quick first step & defense.

Yes, stylistically they are different, but that's what makes the comparison interesting. If I had a player who had the characteristics listed above, I would rather have RJ's skillset than Derozan's. I think they are similar athletes with some of the same limitations to their games. Would I want RJ dominating the ball the same way DD did? No. Derozan.....with his limitations (preferrably) should also not be the type of player that dominates the ball so much.

RJ's game you can plug into most offenses & it will compliment the flow of the offense. Derozan's game is highly dependent on iso touches.

[manjusaka]

It's great that RJ is still performing at this level. It answers some questions that many of us had based on his stint with the team last season. It's even better that he's still scoring efficiently and showing an ability to handle increased playmaking responsibilities.

However, is it hating to still have questions about what his role will be on a good team? It's not his fault he hasn't been able to play with Scottie and IQ so far (which may or may not be the makings of a "good team"), but will he keep up this kind of production when he does? If he doesn't, will his contributions have a positive impact on winning?

It's not like he's a pure empty calories guy chucking and putting up 25 points on 25 shots, but at the same time, his winning percentage with the Raptors has to be around 30-35%.

Is he actually a superstar who is going to put up an efficient 28 ppg, and the haters just need to adjust to that?

Or is he still going to end up the 3rd/4th best player on the team? If that's what happens, is that a good thing? Can he be effective in that role? Is he better off being a 6th man?

Is it hating to ask those questions?

If the answer to those questions is we don't know and we kind of don't need to know yet, I guess that's fine, but sometimes it seems like people think we shouldn't even be asking.

I don't think people should be asking these questions at all. It's way too pre-mature. I feel like people are simply jumping to conclusions based on some kind of bias that they have.

We are basically in the 1st year of a rebuild with a new coach, several new players & a bunch of rookies. How are we in a position to evaluate the future? We haven't even seen a full season of basketball & we haven't even seen the starting lineup play for any kind of significant stretch. I am also not seeing these kinds of questions pop up about Quickly. It seems to be RJ only. Even after he plays like a legit allstar, team leader & by far the best player on the team, certain posters still show negativity bias. The guy is also 3-5 years away from his prime.

It's just bizzaro world to me. I can't understand it.

I plan to enjoy watching these young guys develop as individuals & develop as a team. RJ at no point has been a problem that needs to be solved.

We have a bunch of young pieces & we are slowly trying to figure out how they all fit together. So far RJ has been a great fit with Scottie, Quick & last night he had great chemistry with Gradey.

So far I have see a high IQ player that is, young, very aggressive & can put the ball in the hoop in a highly efficient way.

I guess it's this new "instant gratification" world that we live in. People really need to learn to practice patience. Something Colangelo didn't have. He made moves for the sake of making moves. Thank gawd Masai is running things now.

I am wondering who is a better offensive player: Jaylen Brwon or our version of RJB?

[tsherkin]

For me personally, the comparison comes more from position, size, scoring output, lack of a quick first step & defense.

There are some superficial similarities, sure. Ultimately, though, the ability to get to the basket the way RJ does is a very large and significant difference, as is possessing 3pt range.

You go on to support this noting stuff like isos and all of that, so I guess I just don't see the value in looking at them in comparison. Maybe I'm looking past something, but they're so divergent in playstyle. And right now, Barrett's got greater utility for us (leastwise while maintaining his strong efficiency), plus he can be a spacer. These things all heavily separate him from DDR. Yeah, they share a position and aren't too far off one another in build. Yeah, neither has a super-elite first step. Yeah, Barrett is not a hot defender, though he's better than DDR ever was for us. But ultimately, there are still too many things separating them (IMHO) for there to be much of a comparison there.

[MEDIC]

For me personally, the comparison comes more from position, size, scoring output, lack of a quick first step & defense.

There are some superficial similarities, sure. Ultimately, though, the ability to get to the basket the way RJ does is a very large and significant difference, as is possessing 3pt range.

You go on to support this noting stuff like isos and all of that, so I guess I just don't see the value in looking at them in comparison. Maybe I'm looking past something, but they're so divergent in playstyle. And right now, Barrett's got greater utility for us (leastwise while maintaining his strong efficiency), plus he can be a spacer. These things all heavily separate him from DDR. Yeah, they share a position and aren't too far off one another in build. Yeah, neither has a super-elite first step. Yeah, Barrett is not a hot defender, though he's better than DDR ever was for us. But ultimately, there are still too many things separating them (IMHO) for there to be much of a comparison there.

I guess the comparison is "which shooting guard would you rather have on your team (specifically this team)"? 24 year old Derozan or 24 year old RJ?

[tsherkin]

I guess the comparison is "which shooting guard would you rather have on your team (specifically this team)"? 24 year old Derozan or 24 year old RJ?

That's an easy one. Barrett. 24yo DeRozan was a below-average scorer who played crap defense and was generally unremarkable. He got some way beyond that over time during the RS, but like, we knew who he was from there forward, in essence. Barrett is more of an unknown and has responded well to our system. Who knows how long it'll last, how much will sustain, la la la, but he has far more intriguing potential for us offensively.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Jaylen is the better player. He's a legit 3 level scorer and a decent man to man defender. Never had a 12 assist game in a city that has been proven to cook the assist numbers, though.

[MEDIC]

I guess the comparison is "which shooting guard would you rather have on your team (specifically this team)"? 24 year old Derozan or 24 year old RJ?

That's an easy one. Barrett. 24yo DeRozan was a below-average scorer who played crap defense and was generally unremarkable. He got some way beyond that over time during the RS, but like, we knew who he was from there forward, in essence. Barrett is more of an unknown and has responded well to our system. Who knows how long it'll last, how much will sustain, la la la, but he has far more intriguing potential for us offensively.

Kind of crazy to think DD made his first allstar game when he was 24yo. Scoring 22.7ppg on not so great %'s. RJ could easily have a better season than that this year.

[tsherkin]

Kind of crazy to think DD made his first allstar game when he was 24yo. Scoring 22.7ppg on not so great %'s. RJ could easily have a better season than that this year.

It's quite possible. Hope to see it

[Airmiess]

It's great that RJ is still performing at this level. It answers some questions that many of us had based on his stint with the team last season. It's even better that he's still scoring efficiently and showing an ability to handle increased playmaking responsibilities.

However, is it hating to still have questions about what his role will be on a good team? It's not his fault he hasn't been able to play with Scottie and IQ so far (which may or may not be the makings of a "good team"), but will he keep up this kind of production when he does? If he doesn't, will his contributions have a positive impact on winning?

It's not like he's a pure empty calories guy chucking and putting up 25 points on 25 shots, but at the same time, his winning percentage with the Raptors has to be around 30-35%.

Is he actually a superstar who is going to put up an efficient 28 ppg, and the haters just need to adjust to that?

Or is he still going to end up the 3rd/4th best player on the team? If that's what happens, is that a good thing? Can he be effective in that role? Is he better off being a 6th man?

Is it hating to ask those questions?

If the answer to those questions is we don't know and we kind of don't need to know yet, I guess that's fine, but sometimes it seems like people think we shouldn't even be asking.

I don't think people should be asking these questions at all. It's way too pre-mature. I feel like people are simply jumping to conclusions based on some kind of bias that they have.

We are basically in the 1st year of a rebuild with a new coach, several new players & a bunch of rookies. How are we in a position to evaluate the future? We haven't even seen a full season of basketball & we haven't even seen the starting lineup play for any kind of significant stretch. I am also not seeing these kinds of questions pop up about Quickly. It seems to be RJ only. Even after he plays like a legit allstar, team leader & by far the best player on the team, certain posters still show negativity bias. The guy is also 3-5 years away from his prime.

It's just bizzaro world to me. I can't understand it.

I plan to enjoy watching these young guys develop as individuals & develop as a team. RJ at no point has been a problem that needs to be solved.

We have a bunch of young pieces & we are slowly trying to figure out how they all fit together. So far RJ has been a great fit with Scottie, Quick & last night he had great chemistry with Gradey.

So far I have see a high IQ player that is, young, very aggressive & can put the ball in the hoop in a highly efficient way.

I guess it's this new "instant gratification" world that we live in. People really need to learn to practice patience. Something Colangelo didn't have. He made moves for the sake of making moves. Thank gawd Masai is running things now.

I am wondering who is a better offensive player: Jaylen Brwon or our version of RJB?

Brown is a bucket, he is in the Jimmy Butler tier of offensive guards. RJ is not quite there yet.

[Airmiess]

Need RJ to cook DD tonight.

[LoveMyRaps]

RJ can be our Jaylen Brown.

[MEDIC]

Forgot they were playing one another tonight. Perfect timing for the RJ/ DD debate.

BTW, I looked up the standing height measurements of our young SG/ SF's. Here is what I found:

Gradey Dick - 8'5" (Combine)
JaKobe Walter - 8'6.5" (Combine)
RJ Barrett - 8'6" (College - No combine measurements)
Jamison Battle - 8'8" (College - No combine measurements)
Johnathan Mogbo - 9'.5" (Combine)

For now we could throw Mogbo out there if we have a really tough matchup at the 3. I am pulling for Battle to develop hia defensive game as well.

[XTC]

I guess the comparison is "which shooting guard would you rather have on your team (specifically this team)"? 24 year old Derozan or 24 year old RJ?

That's an easy one. Barrett. 24yo DeRozan was a below-average scorer who played crap defense and was generally unremarkable. He got some way beyond that over time during the RS, but like, we knew who he was from there forward, in essence. Barrett is more of an unknown and has responded well to our system. Who knows how long it'll last, how much will sustain, la la la, but he has far more intriguing potential for us offensively.

Kind of crazy to think DD made his first allstar game when he was 24yo. Scoring 22.7ppg on not so great %'s. RJ could easily have a better season than that this year.

I love RJ, and the following message has nothing to do with him or his improvements. I think the kid is going to be our main scorer going forward.

However... 22.7 PPG was good for #10 in the league at the time. He was one of the better young guards in the game. Derozan as a Raptor is starting to get underrated.

[MEDIC]

That's an easy one. Barrett. 24yo DeRozan was a below-average scorer who played crap defense and was generally unremarkable. He got some way beyond that over time during the RS, but like, we knew who he was from there forward, in essence. Barrett is more of an unknown and has responded well to our system. Who knows how long it'll last, how much will sustain, la la la, but he has far more intriguing potential for us offensively.

Kind of crazy to think DD made his first allstar game when he was 24yo. Scoring 22.7ppg on not so great %'s. RJ could easily have a better season than that this year.

I love RJ, and the following message has nothing to do with him or his improvements. I think the kid is going to be our main scorer going forward.

However... 22.7 PPG was good for #10 in the league at the time. He was one of the better young guards in the game. Derozan as a Raptor is starting to get underrated.

Good point. Brings some context

[GreatWhiteStiff]

I guess the comparison is "which shooting guard would you rather have on your team (specifically this team)"? 24 year old Derozan or 24 year old RJ?

That's an easy one. Barrett. 24yo DeRozan was a below-average scorer who played crap defense and was generally unremarkable. He got some way beyond that over time during the RS, but like, we knew who he was from there forward, in essence. Barrett is more of an unknown and has responded well to our system. Who knows how long it'll last, how much will sustain, la la la, but he has far more intriguing potential for us offensively.

Kind of crazy to think DD made his first allstar game when he was 24yo. Scoring 22.7ppg on not so great %'s. RJ could easily have a better season than that this year.

RJ gives you more defence and outside shooting that derozan as well, and the scoring efficiency moves are there too. I think he's pretty underrated to how Derozan was perceived as a volume scorer back then.

[Scase]

35 games... is this a good enough sample size Scase?

Are you being serious or trolling? 35 games isnt enough of a sample size of anything, it's not even half a season come on lol. He definitely looks much improved, but again, not even half a season.

[LoveMyRaps]

35 games... is this a good enough sample size Scase?

Are you being serious or trolling? 35 games isnt enough of a sample size of anything, it's not even half a season come on lol. He definitely looks much improved, but again, not even half a season.

Hey, just asking a question. Nothing deep.

When should I circle back?

[Scase]

35 games... is this a good enough sample size Scase?

Are you being serious or trolling? 35 games isnt enough of a sample size of anything, it's not even half a season come on lol. He definitely looks much improved, but again, not even half a season.

Hey, just asking a question. Nothing deep.

When should I circle back?

The same time it has been every other time I have had these discussions, when I see it for a full season, I'll believe it. Ask yourself this, would you hand a player a max/near max contract based on 35 games?

I hope this production is real and sustainable, it would be great for the team. But I've seen players put together stretches of games before that have looked great, only to come back down to earth. I think it's a pretty rational take to want to see this for an extended period of time, especially based on his past.