NBA Rookie of the Year race: The favorites and other possible candidates
By Nate Friesen
2. RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
RJ Barrett’s raw numbers look good but his shooting percentages are atrocious. Barrett is averaging a respectable 15.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game which looks phenomenal for the No. 3 pick out of Duke. But he’s shooting only 42.3 percent on 2’s, 34.1 percent on 3’s and 46.4 percent from the free-throw line! This is a shocking number when you first see it, especially considering the fact that he is getting to the line relatively often (5.8 attempts per game).
This could just be due to nerves in Barretts’ first few games as a pro so, hopefully, we will see some improvement in that area. All in all, RJ has looked pretty good to start his career. He plays with a high level of intensity, scores the ball at will and is a pretty underrated playmaker.
Barrett is still in a good position to win the rookie of the year if he can improve his shooting percentages. Either way, I think Barrett has a promising career ahead of him even if he doesn’t win rookie of the year.