RJ Barrett is Criminally Underrated

[Morris_Shatford]

RJ is the player who I have enjoyed watching the most over the last season or so;
Kid is young, kid can score, he is Canadian, and made an effort to improve aspects of his game since coming to Toronto.

He is hard to root against.

With that said, I can understand why he is viewed as the odd man out in this line up after the BI trade.

[PushDaRock]

If anything, unlike the Knicks, I think Raps fans are poised to see what RJ is truly capable of as a player without any rose-tinted goggles, since we didn't draft him.

I think he's an okay player. Probably slightly above average starter? I don't think the impact he brings warrants the amount of minutes he's gotten this season, so I hope his role is reduced coming into next season. Or maybe he's traded before that, ideally, because lowering his role will likely lower his value, too?

Or maybe I'm speaking too soon on trading him but I don't anticipate him getting much better than he is. We'll see, I guess. I do really like the part of his game where he is able to penetrate to the basket better than anyone else on the roster.

This feels about right. He's got some potential. We need to see what he looks like on a decent team, with reasonable spacing and distribution of scoring responsibility and all that. But Masai definitely has a decision to make about RJ. For my part, I hope we get to see him balling out, even if we ultimately move him. Would be nice for his career, and he seems a nice hometown guy.

His USG rate was way too high last season, getting him back around 25% should help him be a lot more efficient. I suspect he will be viewed different with a TS% up around 58-60% which is possible with more optimized shot selection and hopefully some improved FT shooting. He also took some positive steps in his playmaking and defensively in addition to being a good rebounder for his position. He's a bit more well rounded than people want to give him credit for.

[Duffman100]

I get the downsides of RJ. But he is the only guy that can get to the rim consistently.

We need that skillset whether it's him or a replacement.

[MEDIC]

I like RJ. I am very curious to see where he is at when he is 27 years old. I think he will keep tinkering & keep getting better. Kind of like DD did.

I would look to replace Quickley before RJ. I like Quick, but I think we need more from the PG spot.

Who knows.......maybe all of these guys fit really well together & we don't have to ship anyone out. Fingers crossed.

I would have never guessed in a million years that the Pacers would be up 2-1 in the NBA finals, so anything can happen.

[BCbudraptorfan]

Gotta hit your free throws and play better defense. Id probably move off quick before RJ though.

[HumbleRen]

I like RJ. I am very curious to see where he is at when he is 27 years old. I think he will keep tinkering & keep getting better. Kind of like DD did.

I would look to replace Quickley before RJ. I like Quick, but I think we need more from the PG spot.

Who knows.......maybe all of these guys fit really well together & we don't have to ship anyone out. Fingers crossed.

I would have never guessed in a million years that the Pacers would be up 2-1 in the NBA finals, so anything can happen.

I mean that’s the rub. DD is much better and he’s still a player no contender wants on their team at that price with his archetype.

Some dudes are just not high winning level players, RJ might be one of them like Demar is.

[tsherkin]

I think the comparison is more about role and efficacy, same with the DD comps. It's not necessarily about play style, but rather their impact and what they are best suited for on a winning team.

Sure, but Demar found his ways to be a contributor on some pretty successful RS teams. He had his issues, and he blew chunks in the playoffs... and the only time we saw Maggz in the postseason, he was over 60% TS, you know?

Volume scoring and bad defence are not what you see on winning teams from core pieces,

Eh. We did pretty well with him, overall. If he'd had the stones to get it done in the playoffs, I think people would sing a slightly different tune about him. Remember, 2011-2018, we won 4 playoff series with him, made an ECFs and did pretty well.

2014, we took the Nets to 7. A year later, smoked by the Wizards, getting taken apart by Marcin Gortat and old Paul Pierce while Beal chucked. In 2016, we beat the Pacers in 7, beat the Heat in 7, and took the Cavs to 6... the same Lebron-led Cavs who won the title.

After that, we beat the Bucks and got taken apart by the Cavs. Then beat the Wizards, and lost.... to the Cavs.

So I don't know how accurate it is to say that you couldn't build a winning team with him, because we did. 48, 49, 56, 51 and 59 wins speaks volumes. And we lost to a GOAT candidate in his prime, terrorizing the league after picking up what he needed in Miami, you know what I mean?

he is what he is, neither terrible nor great. He's a very middle of the road player, and as Brinbe mentioned, a big concern is what his next contract will be like, and much like Siakam/FVV/OG it will be too much for what our team is looking for, so hopefully it's another teams problem.

Yep, I'm with you here.

If he had an eagle, instead of a maple leaf on his passport, no one would really care.

Maybe, but he's still in his mid-twenties and has flashed some potential with us, so he's worth letting loose for a bit in the best team circumstance he's enjoyed to this point in his career... if only to build his value.

[tsherkin]

I get the downsides of RJ. But he is the only guy that can get to the rim consistently.

We need that skillset whether it's him or a replacement.

And here it is. He gets like a full THIRD of his FGA/g in the RA, and draws fouls pretty well. And since he's learned to pass better, he's got some value to us if he can get himself back into the 70s at the foul line and can get some shots from the right corner to build up that 3P% again.

[ConSarnit]

Nobody is underrating RJ. He is simply the odd man out. The current starting lineup of: Poeltl, Barnes, RJ, BI and IQ will not work. Poeltl, Barnes, BI and IQ are set in stone. RJ is the only one that can be replaced, for example a defensive player.

I'm not so sure. Matter of fact, I think this will be one of the main storylines of the upcoming season.

I believe Barnes, Ingram & Poeltl are the only players set in stone. We will see who's staying long term with us between IQ and Barrett.

Mind you, I'm not a stan of either of these players and to be fair - Quickley's already been paid by us, which may skew our opinions of him. That said though, I worry about whether or not he's a winning player as well. Sure he fits better because he's a good shooter but he can't get by his man AT ALL and if his 3 ball isn't dropping, he really isn't giving you much out there. He's got no mid-range game, doesn't get to the rim and doesn't generate much free throws.

Barrett can get to the rim at will, has morphed into a competent 3pt shooter and very good ball-handler - especially out of the PnR. He does needs to capitalize on those free throws better and learn to defend better (but then again, so does Quickley) but before Ingram was added, he was the only one on the team who could reliably create his own bucket and every winning team needs a guy who can do that.

We'll see if there's much overlap between Barrett and Ingram; if there is then I would agree that Barrett has to go. Ultimately someone does though.

Barrett barely cracked 50th percentile as a pnr ball handler this year. So even if his ball handling is good it’s not paying dividends. He’s a 35% 3pt shooter (below average for a sg and the league) who takes 6 3pa per36 (also below average for a sg). RJ does have his strengths but the things the current team needs he doesn’t really provide. We need plus shooting (to compensate for Barnes and Poeltl) and we need wing defense (neither IQ/RJ/BI are equipped).

I think Barrett is clearly the odd man out. Some of it’s not his fault as Barnes and Poeltl kill our spacing but finding that 3+D wing is a priority. Even if we upgrade IQ that player isn’t going to be able take on tough wing assignments. Ingram is going to usurp Barrett’s playmaking responsibilities. Our depth is also concentrated at sg and it would be the easiest position to promote someone.

We have guys waiting in the wings and RJ’s usage is about to get usurped and if he’s not on-ball his value declines.

[M3tro]

He's Corey Maggette reborn.

You don't win with those type of players unless he's coming off the bench.

Lazy and ridiculous thinking.

lol

just say you don't get it.

[ConSarnit]

I get the downsides of RJ. But he is the only guy that can get to the rim consistently.

We need that skillset whether it's him or a replacement.

And here it is. He gets like a full THIRD of his FGA/g in the RA, and draws fouls pretty well. And since he's learned to pass better, he's got some value to us if he can get himself back into the 70s at the foul line and can get some shots from the right corner to build up that 3P% again.

Career FTR:

Ingram: 32%

Barrett: 32%

Ingram should be able to pick up some of the slack. Ja’Kobe had a drive game in college so maybe we can ramp that up a bit.

Without RJ we’d still be looking at a low FTA team but we have ways we could cobble something together.

[djsunyc]

He's Corey Maggette reborn.

You don't win with those type of players unless he's coming off the bench.

rj started for a team that made it to the 2nd round. he was also the best player on the team that lost to finals bound jimmy butler heat despite being 3rd in the pecking order.

[Dalek]

RJ is a good player and great ambassador for the game, but given we have IQ, Scottie, and Ingram locked in for the next few years, RJ is not going to be cost-effective to keep especially if his production dips.

You have to think in normal circumstances when Ingram is healthy that will take the ball out of RJ's hands more. He isn't a great offball player, cannot guard up positions that well, and at his cost, we can probably move on him and retain one of the Ochai, Walter, or Dick. I actually think I would be upset at losing Ochai whose defensive value and corner three shooting looks like he could have a playoff role, and we are coming to a point to decide between those two.

RJ's current decent sized contract is perfect for a consolidation trade for a star. That is often the purpose of many of Toronto's moves. Get some talent and pair it together to get a higher level player. Everyone thinks of Giannis and Durant, but what about using RJ to get a guy like Ja Morant or Lauri Markannnen.

[Scase]

I think the comparison is more about role and efficacy, same with the DD comps. It's not necessarily about play style, but rather their impact and what they are best suited for on a winning team.

Sure, but Demar found his ways to be a contributor on some pretty successful RS teams. He had his issues, and he blew chunks in the playoffs... and the only time we saw Maggz in the postseason, he was over 60% TS, you know?

Volume scoring and bad defence are not what you see on winning teams from core pieces,

Eh. We did pretty well with him, overall. If he'd had the stones to get it done in the playoffs, I think people would sing a slightly different tune about him. Remember, 2011-2018, we won 4 playoff series with him, made an ECFs and did pretty well.

2014, we took the Nets to 7. A year later, smoked by the Wizards, getting taken apart by Marcin Gortat and old Paul Pierce while Beal chucked. In 2016, we beat the Pacers in 7, beat the Heat in 7, and took the Cavs to 6... the same Lebron-led Cavs who won the title.

After that, we beat the Bucks and got taken apart by the Cavs. Then beat the Wizards, and lost.... to the Cavs.

So I don't know how accurate it is to say that you couldn't build a winning team with him, because we did. 48, 49, 56, 51 and 59 wins speaks volumes. And we lost to a GOAT candidate in his prime, terrorizing the league after picking up what he needed in Miami, you know what I mean?

he is what he is, neither terrible nor great. He's a very middle of the road player, and as Brinbe mentioned, a big concern is what his next contract will be like, and much like Siakam/FVV/OG it will be too much for what our team is looking for, so hopefully it's another teams problem.

Yep, I'm with you here.

If he had an eagle, instead of a maple leaf on his passport, no one would really care.

Maybe, but he's still in his mid-twenties and has flashed some potential with us, so he's worth letting loose for a bit in the best team circumstance he's enjoyed to this point in his career... if only to build his value.

Well thats the thing though, Magette and DD had more success, but the end result is all the same. People need to stop hoping that players from that same mold suddenly turn into "winning" players. They have always been empty stat players that find a way to not get it done when it matters. You can't build teams with these guys as core components, they are supporting cast, bench and 6th men, not starters putting up 15-20fga.

You can say we lost to Lebron, but DD has not done anything else in other scenarios. 2015-16 before CLE he averaged 20/5/2 on 35/18/78 splits, 2016-17 against the bucks 23.5/5.5/3 on 44/8/92 splits. His only good post season run was against the Wiz in 2017. We need to stop making excuses for the same type of players, sometimes they just aren't conducive to winning anything that matters. They have too many holes in their games.

RJ is 25, and going into his 7th year. People want to **** on Scottie for not growing enough, but for some reason still have the young tag thrown on RJ? Letting him loose another season or two just burns an asset we can potentially flip into a better fit.

Honestly, I don't even mind RJ being on the team, but his current role is not in line with his talent level, nor fit with the team. If he wanted to be a 6th man and we started Ochai, I would have way more confidence keeping him. but as it stands, the longer we keep him and the closer to that new contract he gets, the less value he holds.

[M3tro]

He's Corey Maggette reborn.

You don't win with those type of players unless he's coming off the bench.

rj started for a team that made it to the 2nd round. he was also the best player on the team that lost to finals bound jimmy butler heat despite being 3rd in the pecking order.

You're never going to win a title with RJ as a starting wing.

There's nothing to debate.

[tsherkin]

Career FTR:

Ingram: 32%

Barrett: 32%

Ingram should be able to pick up some of the slack. Ja’Kobe had a drive game in college so maybe we can ramp that up a bit.

Without RJ we’d still be looking at a low FTA team but we have ways we could cobble something together.

Not sure why you're arguing with me about Ingram. He's much more consistent a scorer, a better isolation player, a notably superior 3pt shooter because he can hit ATB, and just better shooting from everywhere. That is not a point I'm contesting.

My concern with Ingram is only health-related, and how much we want him driving or playmaking instead of functioning like old KD to help ease the toll on his body, that's all.

We'll see what Walter brings, sure. He isn't that guy yet, but maybe. My point about Barrett was his rim pressure is strong, and he couples that to foul pressure as well. I'd like to see what he looks like with more open lanes and more corner usage instead of ATB 3pt shooting, the latter at which he isn't especially consistent.

[tsherkin]

Well thats the thing though, Magette and DD had more success, but the end result is all the same. People need to stop hoping that players from that same mold suddenly turn into "winning" players.

This doesn't make any sense. It's disconnected from anything I said. RJ can be a contributing player. We don't need 25 ppg out of him, and he might be quite useful to us offensively. He may not, but he has some demonstrable skillsets which are valuable. Whether he's a bench guy or a starter, I don't care, I haven't commented either way thus far.

RJ is 25, and going into his 7th year. People want to **** on Scottie for not growing enough, but for some reason still have the young tag thrown on RJ?

RJ has some specific skillsets which Scottie does not, though, and that leaves him potential value. It's on you if the only role you can see is starting and being fed significant volume. *shrug*

[ItsDanger]

Aside from 32 games in 23/24, his TS% has been well below league average. Especially hurts when he's a high usage player. His team defense is awful. If he wasn't drafted 3rd overall, he'd be coming off the bench already at this stage of career.

[James_Raptors]

DD had reached unplayable status in the playoffs, literally, to the point of getting benched. He was gifted a starting job at SG on Day1, and pretty much played in Toronto without much of a defensive game and limited range. Much like RJ (now) he would attempt multiple bone-headed drive into multiple opponents type of offense .He's a hard working , loyal player, but also a perennial loser, (mostly) because he's been miscast as a starting SG on team who aspires to be elite. Which he could not fulfill, due to the gaping holes on both ends of the court. The day he was traded, our ceiling rose (with or without Kawhi inc)

And just for the record, 81.5% was the average FT% for SG's in 2025. The goal isn't to get RJ to reach the 70% plateau, that's still atrocious and laughable. He shoots poorly from FT, and mid-range and 3pt, because, like DeMar, he has gaping holes in his offensive game, and also defensive holes that are easily exploitable.

[James_Raptors]

Whether he's a bench guy or a starter, I don't care,

We care.
Salaries matter.
It all matters.
That's how you build championships.

And speaking of RJ coming off the bench as a possible 6th-man's role, here's the last SEVEN and what their annual salary is compared to RJ's salary in '25 which was $25,794,643:

'25 Payton Pritchard: $6,696.429
'24 Naz Reid: $12,950,400
'23 Malcolm Brogdon: $22,600,00
'22 Tyler Herro: $4,004,280
'21 Jordan Clarkson: $11,500,000
'20 Montrezl Harrel: $6,000,000
...and '19 Lou Williams: $4,500,000