Official RJ Barrett Thread

[Raps in 4]

RJ is already better than DeMar DeFrozen.

[LoveMyRaps]

RJ is already better than DeMar DeFrozen.

The DeRozan comps make no sense.

RJ actually defends, passes, and hits the 3.

[TheProfessor]

RJ is already better than DeMar DeFrozen.

The DeRozan comps make no sense.

RJ actually defends, passes, and hits the 3.

Derozan comps make so much sense. Both are great athletes, but not NBA athletes. Both can go up but cannot go side to side. Both cannot defend worth a damn because, again, they are both slow laterally. Rely on Size, strength, and craftiness to score. The current form of RJ in this VERY early season is much better than anything we have seen from Derozan offensively. Remains to see if he can continue.

[Jakay]

RJ is already better than DeMar DeFrozen.

The DeRozan comps make no sense.

RJ actually defends, passes, and hits the 3.

Derozan comps make so much sense. Both are great athletes, but not NBA athletes. Both can go up but cannot go side to side. Both cannot defend worth a damn because, again, they are both slow laterally. Rely on Size, strength, and craftiness to score. The current form of RJ in this VERY early season is much better than anything we have seen from Derozan offensively. Remains to see if he can continue.

this is such a bad take, lawd.

"but not NBA athletes"

lmao wut, DD was like upper elite athletic when he was younger. RJ is a bully ball specialist like Melo in a way. Their games are so dissimilar I don't know where you're possibly getting that from.

Both aren't particularly clutch, but that's true of a lot of players so not really a comparison there either.

[Psubs]

The DeRozan comps make no sense.

RJ actually defends, passes, and hits the 3.

Derozan comps make so much sense. Both are great athletes, but not NBA athletes. Both can go up but cannot go side to side. Both cannot defend worth a damn because, again, they are both slow laterally. Rely on Size, strength, and craftiness to score. The current form of RJ in this VERY early season is much better than anything we have seen from Derozan offensively. Remains to see if he can continue.

this is such a bad take, lawd.

"but not NBA athletes"

lmao wut, DD was like upper elite athletic when he was younger. RJ is a bully ball specialist like Melo in a way. Their games are so dissimilar I don't know where you're possibly getting that from.

Both aren't particularly clutch, but that's true of a lot of players so not really a comparison there either.

Maybe just not lanky wingspans? Demar is old now too.

I know RJ missed those FTs but I think he's pretty clutch. We'll see how he is in the playoffs though (Aaron Judge).

[Jakay]

Derozan comps make so much sense. Both are great athletes, but not NBA athletes. Both can go up but cannot go side to side. Both cannot defend worth a damn because, again, they are both slow laterally. Rely on Size, strength, and craftiness to score. The current form of RJ in this VERY early season is much better than anything we have seen from Derozan offensively. Remains to see if he can continue.

this is such a bad take, lawd.

"but not NBA athletes"

lmao wut, DD was like upper elite athletic when he was younger. RJ is a bully ball specialist like Melo in a way. Their games are so dissimilar I don't know where you're possibly getting that from.

Both aren't particularly clutch, but that's true of a lot of players so not really a comparison there either.

Maybe just not lanky wingspans? Demar is old now too.

I know RJ missed those FTs but I think he's pretty clutch. We'll see how he is in the playoffs though (Aaron Judge).

Yeah I don't think RJ is unclutch either, just average. Demar was actually not clutch though until later in his career. I remember one high arcing jumper against the Magic as being his only real game winner on the team.

[TheProfessor]

The DeRozan comps make no sense.

RJ actually defends, passes, and hits the 3.

Derozan comps make so much sense. Both are great athletes, but not NBA athletes. Both can go up but cannot go side to side. Both cannot defend worth a damn because, again, they are both slow laterally. Rely on Size, strength, and craftiness to score. The current form of RJ in this VERY early season is much better than anything we have seen from Derozan offensively. Remains to see if he can continue.

this is such a bad take, lawd.

"but not NBA athletes"

lmao wut, DD was like upper elite athletic when he was younger. RJ is a bully ball specialist like Melo in a way. Their games are so dissimilar I don't know where you're possibly getting that from.

Both aren't particularly clutch, but that's true of a lot of players so not really a comparison there either.

DD has an elite vertical and strength, however has some one of the worst lateral quickness and hip mobility outside of bigs. That what I mean by poor NBA athlete, i.e. someone like Joey Graham. Derozan for an upper elite athlete did not have an explosive first step but was explosive going up. Derozan just like RJ uses size and angles to get to the rim which is fine, if you want to call it bully ball. I call it crafty.

Both Derozan and RJ have good to great size and strength as well are explosive athletes going up however are extremely poor with lateral quickness and hip mobility. Both players use movement, angles and strength to create separation because again laterally they both suck. Both players are good passers and abhorrent defenders, but only have value in their offensive abilities. Yeah these guys seem similar to me.

[Kingsway_fan]

Points
28.8
Rebounds
5.8
Assists
7.2
Field goal %
49.4

Allatar numbers from your best player on Raptors 2024 . RJ Bennett

[brownbobcat]

this is such a bad take, lawd.

"but not NBA athletes"

lmao wut, DD was like upper elite athletic when he was younger. RJ is a bully ball specialist like Melo in a way. Their games are so dissimilar I don't know where you're possibly getting that from.

Both aren't particularly clutch, but that's true of a lot of players so not really a comparison there either.

DeRozan with a 3 isn't a bad comp actually. Melo was a battering ram in the half court who was either too fast or too strong and RJ isn't like that at all. He depends a lot more on getting the right angle and shifting defenders. I see shades of Paul Pierce without the middy too

[Westside Gunn]

Great player. And we got him for OG who is on some 250 million dollar deal. Fleeced and self sabotage.
Knicks gonna knick.

[ash_k]

Everybody must be so happy seeing RJ perform so well.
A born-scorer with superior playmaking ability unleashed! Currently the 8th best scorer in the league ahead of Anthony Edwards. He is just one-year older that the face of the league-elect by the way thus plenty of room for improvements.

[Airmiess]

people who watch the games know why RJs fg% looks funky at times. A lot of those should be fouls, it's the same thing that happened to Derozan and Siakam.

[Clincher]

Great player. And we got him for OG who is on some 250 million dollar deal. Fleeced and self sabotage.
Knicks gonna knick.

OG brings more on defense and when his shot is good, he helps. I am happy RJ is doing great and IQ too but it's a win/win deal for both sides. Barrett doesn't have the lethal shooting the Knicks needed to contend. He has had spurts like this as a Knick too, just the consistency was lacking often.

Smart for you guys to get what you did in this deal. IDK why you wanted more for OG than Siakam, Pacers gave you next to nothing.

[Clincher]

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.

Porzingis pre injuries and ego.

And one of your best players, Immanuel Quickley.

[execoftheyear]

RJ always reminded me of a mini young Lebron the way he can take it coast to coast and freight train his way to the basket. He's damn near impossible to stop in transition at times like L-train. He just isn't as dominant because he's obviously not as physically/athletically imposing but his ability to attack the rim always reminded me of Lebron.

[Westside Gunn]

RJ always reminded me of a mini young Lebron the way he can take it coast to coast and freight train his way to the basket. He's damn near impossible to stop in transition at times like L-train. He just isn't as dominant because he's obviously not as physically/athletically imposing but his ability to attack the rim always reminded me of Lebron.

I think Joe Johnson is a more valid comparison. I watched him in his prime with the Hawks and the control he had going to the basket in a much tougher era was beautiful to watch

[execoftheyear]

RJ always reminded me of a mini young Lebron the way he can take it coast to coast and freight train his way to the basket. He's damn near impossible to stop in transition at times like L-train. He just isn't as dominant because he's obviously not as physically/athletically imposing but his ability to attack the rim always reminded me of Lebron.

I think Joe Johnson is a more valid comparison. I watched him in his prime with the Hawks and the control he had going to the basket in a much tougher era was beautiful to watch

I don't see iso Joe at all. Joe Johnson rarely dunked and was more of a mid range/floater range half court type iso player that played at his own pace and had a tendency to dribble the ball too much ala Demar or Pierce. He relied on his mid range dribble package and counter moves to get his shot off whereas Barrett is more of a quick decision maker, thrives in transition, off-ball cuts, dribble hand offs, quick decisions off screens and attacking the rim. RJ doesn't really have that in between mid range game (yet), he's more of a 3 point shot (really impressed at how he improved this part of his game) or finish at or around the rim type player. He kind of reminds me of Manu in the half court (which isn't surprising since Darko made the same comparison) and a bit of Lebron with his strength to handle the ball while taking contact in transition (obviously not the same athleticism to finish at the rim but pretty similar way of dribbling through contact)

[YogurtProducer]

RJ is already better than DeMar DeFrozen.

The DeRozan comps make no sense.

RJ actually defends, passes, and hits the 3.

yeah outside being 6'6" they are horrible comps.

Demar spammed the mid-range. RJ avoids it entirely. RJ is closer to Siakam than Demar.

[PushDaRock]

RJ is already better than DeMar DeFrozen.

The DeRozan comps make no sense.

RJ actually defends, passes, and hits the 3.

yeah outside being 6'6" they are horrible comps.

Demar spammed the mid-range. RJ avoids it entirely. RJ is closer to Siakam than Demar.

I think they're mostly trying to say that he puts up scoring numbers but doesn't impact winning rather than saying their games are similar.

That's been the case in New York but the metrics have improved some in Toronto with his on/off splits being positive whereas those New York teams were better with him off the floor than on it. Derozan had a negative on/off 8 of the 9 years in Toronto.

[LastNameEver]

DD scored a lot of points but also gave up a lot of points by not containing his assignments and also not recovering on defense...whether he was stripped, bad shot, turnovers etc.

There was one season where he learned to play the passing lanes well and got some steals.