New York Knicks
Breakout candidate: RJ Barrett
For the sake of the fan’s wellbeing, I genuinely hope that the answer to this question really ends up being RJ Barrett. After entering this past offseason with high hopes – with either drafting Zion Williamson at the 2019 NBA Draft or snagging one of the big-name free agents during the summer – the Knicks emerged as, once again, a disappointment.
The one saving grace for the Knicks, though, could come in the way of RJ Barrett who is much more than just a consolation prize. Headed into college, Barrett was the No. 1 overall prospect – rated higher than Zion. His up-and-down performances at Duke, coupled with the sensation that was Zion, led to him falling to No. 3 in the NBA Draft.
Still, the talent and potential are there for him to be a full-fledged star at the next level. And if Barrett could reach that level with the Knicks, it wouldn’t be long before he rose to superstardom in the NBA. Should he turn the Knicks into a winning franchise again, and he’d be an all-time great.
Perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves a bit. Let’s see how he looks first.