Canada's R.J. Barrett is built for all that Knicks will throw his way

Welcome to the big leagues, kid.

Oh, and what a welcome it will be. With no Kevin Durant in sight for at least a year and Anthony Davis already off to the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks’ free agency plans have been thrown for a loop and it will be up to R.J. Barrett to carry the burden of a city that has steadily brewed in the frustration of being unable to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1973.

Stephen A. Smith’s rants about the team seem to reach new heights with each passing day, Spike Lee is still recovering from Samuel L. Jackson chirps at the Oscars, and head coach Dave Fizdale really doesn’t have much data to suggest they should be winning any time soon.

Selected third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, the 19-year-old not only has to tackle appeasing a fan base that will possibly be aching from not landing any top-tier free agents, but also one that had to watch their unicorn dream in Kristaps Porzingis force his way out of town last season.

But Barrett has been building toward this moment ever since he was a child. His father, Rowan Barrett, played for Canada and his godfather is Steve Nash. Every step the kid has taken has been in readiness for a stage he truly believes he belongs on.

“If it happens, I’m definitely ready,” Barrett said to ESPN a few weeks ago about the possibility of being drafted by the Knicks. “Biggest thing is my confidence, I’m built for this. I’ve been working since I was young. I’m not really worried.”

This isn’t just talk, either. Barrett has always been looked at as someone who isn’t intimidated by the bright lights, who embraces the spotlight and consistently showcases the will and desire to succeed in spite of any level of individual struggle.

Speaking with Wes Brown, a scout with the premier Canadian basketball scouting service, The Monday Morning Scouting Report, and has watched Barrett for years, he feels that the Mississauga native has always projected the demeanour of an alpha who holds his teammates accountable and makes sure they’re playing hard.

“He’s a winner, he’s the type of guy that’s been a pro since he was 13,” Brown said. “He wants to be a Hall of Famer.”

Brown, while recognizing Barrett’s strengths as a volume scorer who doesn’t back down, also said there is plenty of work to be done with his right hand, his shooting in general, but specifically his footwork in creating a shot off the dribble. What can help him grow in that regard is his willingness to keep shooting.

When the Duke Blue Devils came to Canada on an exhibition tour in August, Brown noticed how even though Zion Williamson would make more threes in practice drills or shootarounds before the game, it was Barrett who had a greater propensity to shoot and not be hindered by a miss. There is a downside to this as well, as the likes of Russell Westbrook have proven.

Barrett, to some people’s surprise, is actually right-handed, he’s just a kid, and has plenty of time to get better. While there may have been some of the opinion that Williamson surpassed Barrett in expectation and hype over the course of their single college season together, the New York media will completely eradicate that hope as the expectations of him developing into an all-star at the very least will be made clear from Day 1.

“Being at Duke this year is definitely gonna help, everything that we went through, also, I don’t care what people say, I don’t care.”

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