3. RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
Prior to the start of the college basketball season, it wasn’t Zion Williamson topping mock drafts, it was Barrett. Barrett arrived at Duke as the No. 1 overall player in his class with scouts lauding his versatility as a scorer and playmaker.
While he spent most of the season in Zion’s shadow, a closer look at the numbers behind Barrett’s freshman season show just how special he was. Barrett stuffed the stat sheet averaging nearly 23 points per game. He also showed himself to be an elite rebounder for his position averaging over seven rebounds per game.
It was impressive to watch him excel at scoring the basketball efficiently while averaging over 18 shot attempts per game. Falling to the third pick is not an indictment on Barrett’s ability but more of a credit to those picked before him.
Knicks fans may never get over losing the Zion sweepstakes, but they shouldn’t hold that against Barrett. He has the potential to be a perennial all-star and seems to be happy about falling to the Knicks.
His rookie season could be a streaky one as he adapts to the speed and style of the NBA but his usage should be high which will lead to very solid numbers. If the pressure of playing in the Mecca doesn’t get to him, the Knicks will have a real cornerstone piece.
Stat Projections: 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 44% FG, 34% 3PT