2019 NBA Draft: 3 elite prospects for tanking teams to watch

R.J. Barrett, Duke

The 6-foot-7 wing began the college season as the number one prospect on most draft boards. However, as the season rolled along, Zion quickly surpassed his teammate in the eyes of the national media. When evaluating Barrett’s game, the positives are abundantly clear.

Despite his great height as a wing, Barrett possesses a bevy of skills typically found when scouting point guards. He displays no hesitation in the pick-and-roll or when igniting a fast break as he zooms all over the court looking to either score or assist one of his teammates. He averages 4.7 assists per 40 minutes, constantly finding rollers to the rim or bigs carving out deep post position. His touch on passes resembles past collegiate wings like Josh Jackson, which is a rare skill that NBA executives covet in prospects his size.

While Barrett does not display the same kind of alien athleticism that Zion shows every two minutes, he still remains in the upper tier of athletes of this upcoming draft. He effortlessly glides down the court during transition, causing viewers to wonder how he went from one end to the other without appearing to break a sweat.

Whenever a defender gets lost in a halfcourt set, Barrett will gladly attack the rim in hopes of posterizing a help defender foolish enough to jump with him. His body is as ripped as a Michelangelo sculpture, which could mean he either has a ton of room for adding muscle with an NBA training regimen or is an actual marble figure. Decide for yourself.

Although there are various positives surrounding Barrett’s game, the negatives are just as pronounced at times as well.

For one, Barrett’s defensive effort is often nowhere to be found, causing one to contemplate how he will play on that end at the next level. Sometimes he simply gets out of the frame of the play and hopes a defender misses so that he can swallow up the rebound. He certainly possesses the frame and athleticism to defend at a high level, but a consistent effort has yet to be seen from him this year at Duke.

In addition to his lackluster intensity on defense, Barrett can disrupt Duke’s offensive flow at times as well. While many of his teammates consistently whip the ball around in hopes of finding the best possible shot, Barrett consistently stops the motion when fed the rock. He’ll reside at the top of the key and either request a pick-and-roll or attempt to take it to the rack himself. But his shooting, passing, and ball-handling abilities aren’t advanced enough to warrant a James Harden-style of play.

Shooting is also one of the main concerns behind Barrett’s game. He is averaging 30.4 percent on 6.4 3-point attempts per game, along with a below average 66.2 percent at the free throw line. His shooting motion looks disjointed at times, as one attempt can aesthetically deviate from the shot he put up two possessions prior. Minor technical flaws are often easily fixable at the next level, but it is unclear whether Barrett’s issues require minor corrections, or if he frankly does not possess advanced fluidity in his shooting motion.

Key in on these flaws when observing his performance during the tournament. Take note of whether or not he can shoot efficiently, either off-the-dribble or spotting up. As advanced offenses swiftly move the ball around, pay attention to whether or not Barrett increases his defensive intensity for the sake of his team’s success. See whether or not he engages himself into the flow of the game, abandoning his tendency to put it on himself and force inefficient shots.

R.J. Barrett is very young and has plenty of time to develop, but defensive intensity, shooting fluidity, and overall feel for the game are areas that many prospects don’t ever drastically improve upon. Pay attention and decide for yourself whether or not the Duke wing has the capacity to become elite in these areas.