RJ Barrett

[Duke4life831]

Just so you know, the scouting report for Jimmy Butler in junior college when he was in Tyler, was that he was a high motor 3D player who was considered a very good shooter but with poor handles. Alot of D1 schools at the time just saw him as 3D role player with a good work ethic.

Thats fine, but against college competition he wasnt a 3&D player. He didnt even average 1 3pt attempt a game while at Marquette. Elite shooters are going to take at least 1 3pt shot a game. Im not going to hold a single season of junior college to a higher extent than 3 years of D1 ball. Butler's scouting report after college was he wasnt a consistent threat from the perimeter.

[skiz2]

The more I watch him the less I like him. As a Duke fan Im really hoping many of you are right with these comparisons.

When I watched him in HS I sometimes wondered whether he played with extreme confidence or with arrogance. I had heard whispers he was not the best teammate. I tend to think it is confidence, but I still remember the whispers of some on the AAU circuit.

[Alatan]

I’m no where near high on R.J. as I was harden or Doncic, but I’m pretty confident he won’t bust. May not be a perennial all star, but he’s too smart, skilled & tenacious not to be a plus-starter for a decade barring injuries.

Starter sure. Plust starter maybe. Perenial allstar? Hahaha. The guy is painfully average. Thats a bust as a high loto pick.

how is he average, he destroyed his age competition on world stage.

Highschool ball is irrelevant.

[Duke4life831]

Starter sure. Plust starter maybe. Perenial allstar? Hahaha. The guy is painfully average. Thats a bust as a high loto pick.

how is he average, he destroyed his age competition on world stage.

Highschool ball is irrelevant.

Im not the biggest RJ fan, but this doesnt really make sense. It wasnt just normal high school ball, the dude played and dominated at Montverde which plays top notch players, but the dude dominated on the international level as well. If we throw out what RJ has done, then we basically have to say everything that any guy coming into college is irrelevant. What would be the point of recruiting and all that if everything theyre doing is irrelevant.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

It's irrelevant, but isn't it largely why he's favoured to go #1 in next years draft, no?

Oh i guess its irrelevant since he's predicting probable bust or whatever, it is somewhat relevant in that he's likely to go in the top 3 of an nba draft, however.

[atlantabbq99]

It's irrelevant, but isn't it largely why he's favoured to go #1 in next years draft, no?

Oh i guess its irrelevant since he's predicting probable bust or whatever, it is somewhat relevant in that he's likely to go in the top 3 of an nba draft, however.

Last year before the year started, Porter was projected to go #1 in 2018 while Ayton was ranked #7.

in 2012 before the season started, Harrison Barns or Andre Drumond were projected to go #1 and #2, while Anthony Davis was ranked #9

KAT was also not ranked #1, it was Mudiay who was ranked #1 before the season started

Alot of things can still change after one season plays out.

[UcanUwill]

It's irrelevant, but isn't it largely why he's favoured to go #1 in next years draft, no?

Oh i guess its irrelevant since he's predicting probable bust or whatever, it is somewhat relevant in that he's likely to go in the top 3 of an nba draft, however.

Last year before the year started, Porter was projected to go #1 in 2018 while Ayton was ranked #7.

in 2012 before the season started, Harrison Barns or Andre Drumond were projected to go #1 and #2, while Anthony Davis was ranked #9

KAT was also not ranked #1, it was Mudiay who was ranked #1 before the season started

Alot of things can still change after one season plays out.

Definitely, but how many of those guys dominated FIBA U19 at age 17? FIBA u19 competition is very, very similar to division 1, so I am very confident Barrett's play in college wont damage his stock much, unless some big time sleepers will explode in college.

[atlantabbq99]

It's irrelevant, but isn't it largely why he's favoured to go #1 in next years draft, no?

Oh i guess its irrelevant since he's predicting probable bust or whatever, it is somewhat relevant in that he's likely to go in the top 3 of an nba draft, however.

Last year before the year started, Porter was projected to go #1 in 2018 while Ayton was ranked #7.

in 2012 before the season started, Harrison Barns or Andre Drumond were projected to go #1 and #2, while Anthony Davis was ranked #9

KAT was also not ranked #1, it was Mudiay who was ranked #1 before the season started

Alot of things can still change after one season plays out.

Definitely, but how many of those guys dominated FIBA U19 at age 17? FIBA u19 competition is very, very similar to division 1, so I am very confident Barrett's play in college wont damage his stock much, unless some big time sleepers will explode in college.

Austin Rivers and Trey Lyles both averaged over 21ppg in the FIBA U19. Both had higher averaged and better shooting numbers than Barrett in their FIBA tournaments.

Barrett averaged 45%FG (21% 3FG), while Rivers in his FIBA averaged 61%FG (60% 3FG). Rivers also for a short period of time was favored to go #1 in the draft.

[mojo13]

Last year before the year started, Porter was projected to go #1 in 2018 while Ayton was ranked #7.

in 2012 before the season started, Harrison Barns or Andre Drumond were projected to go #1 and #2, while Anthony Davis was ranked #9

KAT was also not ranked #1, it was Mudiay who was ranked #1 before the season started

Alot of things can still change after one season plays out.

Definitely, but how many of those guys dominated FIBA U19 at age 17? FIBA u19 competition is very, very similar to division 1, so I am very confident Barrett's play in college wont damage his stock much, unless some big time sleepers will explode in college.

Austin Rivers and Trey Lyles both averaged over 21ppg in the FIBA U19. Both had higher averaged and better shooting numbers than Barrett in their FIBA tournaments.

Barrett averaged 45%FG (21% 3FG), while Rivers in his FIBA averaged 61%FG (60% 3FG). Rivers also for a short period of time was favored to go #1 in the draft.

I don't think that is a fair comparison. The USA team is always stacked providing guys countless 1v1 opportunity, open looks and breakaway dunks/layups. You can't go back in time and put Austin Rivers alone on Team Canada to face countless double and triple teams and late in the clock shots. Maybe look at Musa or Doncic for comparisons or other high usage guys with not much around them?

Canada's second best player in the u19s - Lindell Wiggington - even missed the semis vs the USA, due to injury, forcing Barrett to play PG. The next best player was Abu Kigab who is buried at Oregon. Canada was missing 8 or 9 of its top prospects. Barrett faced the full force of Team USA (and everyone else) Not to mention Barrett was 17 at the time. He even looked perfectly in place starting for the senior team this summer (at 18) along side NBA vets like Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell and Cory Joseph. Many media pundits in Canada even thought he looked like our best player (I didn't).

How much of the dislike here for Barrett is tainted from the disappointments of recent high profile Canadians like Wiggins, Bennett or Stauskas? Ya - that's a bad run of Canadian prospects but it seems clear by now those guys didn't have what it takes between the ears to maximize their potential. Barrett (like Jamal Murray and Dillon Brooks) have that alpha mentality...

I'm not saying I see an elite player with top 5 potential and very probable he won't go #1 - but he is going to be a really good player.

[mojo13]

The more I watch him the less I like him. As a Duke fan Im really hoping many of you are right with these comparisons.

When I watched him in HS I sometimes wondered whether he played with extreme confidence or with arrogance. I had heard whispers he was not the best teammate. I tend to think it is confidence, but I still remember the whispers of some on the AAU circuit.

As I recall this was more a inter Canadian AAU club beef between the influencers / puppet masters behind CIA Bounce and UPlay (RJ's dad and GM of Canada basketball - Rowan Barrett). Rumors dragged the kids into it and when many of the top CIA Bounce kids (Simi Sh_ittu, Iggy Bradzeikis etc.) didn't join Team Canada for the U19 Worlds last year, rumors swirled and blame was put on RJ Barrett (UPlay) and guys not wanting to play with him. As far as I learned this was all unsubstantiated Twitter type rumor stuff and the kids had no problem with each other (even going so far as having to say that publicly). Besides that stuff I have heard nothing but praise for Barrett by current and former team mates.

[atlantabbq99]

Definitely, but how many of those guys dominated FIBA U19 at age 17? FIBA u19 competition is very, very similar to division 1, so I am very confident Barrett's play in college wont damage his stock much, unless some big time sleepers will explode in college.

Austin Rivers and Trey Lyles both averaged over 21ppg in the FIBA U19. Both had higher averaged and better shooting numbers than Barrett in their FIBA tournaments.

Barrett averaged 45%FG (21% 3FG), while Rivers in his FIBA averaged 61%FG (60% 3FG). Rivers also for a short period of time was favored to go #1 in the draft.

I don't think that is a fair comparison. The USA team is always stacked providing guys countless 1v1 opportunity, open looks and breakaway dunks/layups. You can't go back in time and put Austin Rivers alone on Team Canada to face countless double and triple teams and late in the clock shots. Maybe look at Musa or Doncic for comparisons or other high usage guys with not much around them?

Canada's second best player in the u19s - Lindell Wiggington - even missed the semis vs the USA, due to injury, forcing Barrett to play PG. The next best player was Abu Kigab who is buried at Oregon. Canada was missing 8 or 9 of its top prospects. Barrett faced the full force of Team USA (and everyone else) Not to mention Barrett was 17 at the time. He even looked perfectly in place starting for the senior team this summer (at 18) along side NBA vets like Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell and Cory Joseph. Many media pundits in Canada even thought he looked like our best player (I didn't).

How much of the dislike here for Barrett is tainted from the disappointments of recent high profile Canadians like Wiggins, Bennett or Stauskas? Ya - that's a bad run of Canadian prospects but it seems clear by now those guys didn't have what it takes between the ears to maximize their potential. Barrett (like Jamal Murray and Dillon Brooks) have that alpha mentality...

I'm not saying I see an elite player with top 5 potential and very probable he won't go #1 - but he is going to be a really good player.

Trey Lyles is Canadian

Its actually very rare for a Team USA member to get 20ppg in FIBA U19 because its so stacked. Usually the high scorer in Team USA is 12ppg because everybody is trying to get theirs

[mojo13]

Austin Rivers and Trey Lyles both averaged over 21ppg in the FIBA U19. Both had higher averaged and better shooting numbers than Barrett in their FIBA tournaments.

Barrett averaged 45%FG (21% 3FG), while Rivers in his FIBA averaged 61%FG (60% 3FG). Rivers also for a short period of time was favored to go #1 in the draft.

I don't think that is a fair comparison. The USA team is always stacked providing guys countless 1v1 opportunity, open looks and breakaway dunks/layups. You can't go back in time and put Austin Rivers alone on Team Canada to face countless double and triple teams and late in the clock shots. Maybe look at Musa or Doncic for comparisons or other high usage guys with not much around them?

Canada's second best player in the u19s - Lindell Wiggington - even missed the semis vs the USA, due to injury, forcing Barrett to play PG. The next best player was Abu Kigab who is buried at Oregon. Canada was missing 8 or 9 of its top prospects. Barrett faced the full force of Team USA (and everyone else) Not to mention Barrett was 17 at the time. He even looked perfectly in place starting for the senior team this summer (at 18) along side NBA vets like Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell and Cory Joseph. Many media pundits in Canada even thought he looked like our best player (I didn't).

How much of the dislike here for Barrett is tainted from the disappointments of recent high profile Canadians like Wiggins, Bennett or Stauskas? Ya - that's a bad run of Canadian prospects but it seems clear by now those guys didn't have what it takes between the ears to maximize their potential. Barrett (like Jamal Murray and Dillon Brooks) have that alpha mentality...

I'm not saying I see an elite player with top 5 potential and very probable he won't go #1 - but he is going to be a really good player.

Trey Lyles is Canadian

Its actually very rare for a Team USA member to get 20ppg in FIBA U19 because its so stacked. Usually the high scorer in Team USA is 12ppg because everybody is trying to get theirs

I understand Lyles is Canadian. And could be a good example, but you didn't specifically list his %s as a comparison.
Lyles put up 20/10 in the 2013 U19 with a Canadian team that finish 6th (not a great team) He shot 41% from 2FG and 31% from 3PG and 71% FT%. He also had Xavier Rathan Maynes and Tyler Ennis with him, a couple borderline NBA players (along with some solid NCAA guys). He was ok, but didnt really carry that team. Lyles was a key guy, but I'm not sure he is a case against RJ.

My point against Austin was not his points but the percentages/efficiency. The USA usually shoots near 60% as a team in these tournaments. They are just too good. And did Austin Rivers even play in the u19 World Cup? I don't recall he did - only the u17 FIBA Americas which is much lower competition, making his results even less of a comparison (but please correct me if I am wrong). The USAs average victory margin in the FIBA Americas is usually around 50-60 points and they shoot really darn high percentages.

[vincecarter4pres]

Way early for me to put too much weight into player comparisons, even my own, but as a ceiling maybe what O.J. Mayo could have been if he had better height and length and a much better head on his shoulders?

[cgf]

Way early for me to put too much weight into player comparisons, even my own, but as a ceiling maybe what O.J. Mayo could have been if he had better height and length and a much better head on his shoulders?

...so like a longer Harden/Ginobli?

[Upperclass]

He's Evan Turner to me.. I wouldnt want him. I think its Zion and everyone else, but Reddish should be a good scorer

[baca]

He's Evan Turner to me.. I wouldnt want him. I think its Zion and everyone else, but Reddish should be a good scorer

Has Even Turner done anything special in his 18? Did he dominate some kids two years older than him or not be outshined by NBA players as teammates in National team game? I guess Doncic is also another Evan Turner

[Upperclass]

Ignoring actual skills and traits vs accomplishments is a sure path to failure.

[UcanUwill]

Ignoring actual skills and traits vs accomplishments is a sure path to failure.

He played very well for team Canada this summer, surrounded by NBA guys, and if you didnt know, you would never have guessed he is straight out of highschool. His game is super mature and flat out skilled.

[BigTimeFA2LA]

Ignoring actual skills and traits vs accomplishments is a sure path to failure.

He played very well for team Canada this summer, surrounded by NBA guys, and if you didnt know, you would never have guessed he is straight out of highschool. His game is super mature and flat out skilled.

He's going to be an All star player and top 5 pick but I Def don't see top 10 player in his prime for RJ. He's Overhyped

[BigTimeFA2LA]

Ignoring actual skills and traits vs accomplishments is a sure path to failure.

He played very well for team Canada this summer, surrounded by NBA guys, and if you didnt know, you would never have guessed he is straight out of highschool. His game is super mature and flat out skilled.

He's going to be an All star player and top 5 pick but I Def don't see top 10 player in his prime for RJ. He's Overhyped