NBA: 5 scariest early-season trends from big-name stars

RJ Barrett’s offensive inefficiency

Through the first five games of the season, the New York Knicks have been pretty competitive. They’re 3-2 and their two losses came at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies. Not too bad. However, RJ Barrett’s offensive struggles have been something that can’t be overlooked.

Barrett is averaging 18 points and six rebounds (looks good on paper) but on 38 percent shooting from the field overall and 14 percent shooting from 3-point range. No bueno. There are theories that Barrett is having to overexert himself on the offensive end because of Jalen Brunson. But I’m not entirely buying that.

Why blame Brunson for the struggles of another player? The hope is that Barrett will eventually get it going. But his early-season inconsistencies on the offensive end are certainly something to keep an eye on.