RJ Barrett

I unfortunately don’t think you’re missing anything. He’s going to be a high-usage, low-percentage, lots of numbers on a bad team type of a player. 

 i think his one on one game is not too spectacular. ALso surprised his shooting numebrs werent very good, 31% from three and 65% from ft. But he has good size for a wing and smoothness to his game. Good athlete who will do great in transistion. I do think he goes #3 but he has question marks like the handful of guys behind him and i dont think he is a sure thing. If his jumper becomes money, hes a safe pick. 

actually not sure why people think it’s a 3 players draft. If anything, RJ goes in the same tier as the guys in the top 4 to 10. 

Look at Brandon Ingram and Jason Tatums stats at Duke then RJ Barrett’s. That’s the hype.

The only reason his shooting was so bad is because Duke was so bad at shooting and he was their best shooter. People think Duke is what Alabama is to football, no. Their bench was abysmal. Cam reddish sucks and tre Jones can only play defense.

I know I will get negged by saying  it but theirs no way Ja Morant should go ahead of him. Literally no one that plays like Ja (athletic or  pass first PGs) has been close to a top 5 player in the league since 2011. The best players are all  wings similar to RJ but every year guards get over drafted.

 Right now RJ is 3rd overall behind Zion and Ja. Who are the 5-7 better prospects than RJ? Which one of those guys should be drafted over RJ?

 RJ scored a lot of points but took a ton of shots.  His shooting percentages were horrific.  I don’t see him as being a winner in the NBA.  He will put up numbers with terrible shooting percentages in the league just like he did in college.  Anybody who thinks Duke basketball is like Alabama football should be slapped.  Both get elite high school talent, but unlike Duke, Alabama actually wins and plays for championships.  

 Thank you so much for asking this question. I was thinking the exact same thing! I really dont see what all the hypes about. 

Style wise, I think he could play in the way Harden does (without the HOF potential, outside shooting numbers, or definitely nowhere near the free-throw percentage). I think he can and already does a James Harden style of play. Which is an effective style. I just don’t think the numbers will ever let him be a top 10 player in the league. Maybe top 20. Good enough for the 3rd pick.  

He draws a lot of fouls, does great with contact, and makes things happen. He hit 45% of his shots (above Harden’s career average). It’s actually solid for a guard. I do agree that he needs to be better from the line, especially since he draws so many fouls. He barrels right into traffic, but well. He’ll get the calls even more in the NBA. Even hitting 68% from the line is better than hitting 40% from 3 or 50% from 2. More valuable analytics-wise. 

I think his 3 shot is better than his percentage indicates. It’s a decent looking shot, he’s a hard worker, and a smart guy. I think he’ll figure that out. He should be able to get to 75-78% from the line. 

I think he’s a fine pick. My only trouble with him is that he will take up a lot of possessions. He’ll need to get better at kicking it out. 

 I actually see Rodney Hood when I look at Barrett

I see some Manu Ginobili in him…

Barrett is talented, and there are not 5-7 prospects better than him. The issue with him is that he always thinks he is the best option. When playing with Zion Williamson, late in close games where Zion was effective, Barrett kept the ball away from him. In as much as Barrett is good at getting his shot, and a pretty decent difficult shot maker which has value, he does not come off as knowing when it is right to do so. This is something that has been problematic with Devin Booker and Zach LaVine. Both Booker and LaVine are far more athletic and better pure shooters, but their status as career losers in part stems from thinking they are always the best option. Phoenix is not going anywhere if DeAndre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and their pick this season do not develop into very good players. Booker has to play a role in incorportating them into an offense. The same goes for LaVine. In Minnesota, they needed Rubio running the point because the more the ball was in LaVine’s hands, the less touches Towns got. In Chicago, the more LaVine has the ball, the less it does Dunn, Porter, Markkanen, and Carter. The Bulls aren’t going anywhere unless Markkanen eventually gets to a point where he is on a Dirk/Aldridge/Bosh type level. They are not going anywhere unless Carter can be on a Domatas Sabonis like career arc. They are not going anywhere if they use Otto Porter like Washington did this past season. This is the problem with guys who are talented scorers, but are a level below elite with a mentality that trusts themselves above all others.