194 replies to this topic

[SportsGuy]

Here's a good article on why I'm not high on RJ.

“Why I’m out on R.J. Barrett as an elite NBA prospect” by Brandon Anderson https://link.medium.com/pTltfOqlJX

Anyone who has Grant Williams rated higher loses credibility for me. That's just dumb.

The analysis here isn't bad and I do have some level of worry that he will be a high volume scorer but not the most efficient player. There is a reason a lot of people comp him to Harden....that's essentially what Harden is and why I think Harden is overrated as a player.

That being said, Harden is still a damn good player and if you are getting 20-25 ppg, 7ish boards and 5ish assists a game, that's a very good NBA player and clearly worth the 3rd pick and better than most 3rd picks ever.

He is basically saying that his mentality is bad...I think that's stupid. You want guys that want to take the last shot, guys who want the pressure on their shoulders, etc....He has said that he embraces being in NY. He wants to be a Knick despite that organization being shitty.

He is right about the decision making. The problem I have with the analysis is 2 fold. First of all, he was 18 last year and had a ton of hype/spotlight on him. Its a lot for a kid that age. Secondly, as he stated, they packed it in on him a lot...what he didn't talk about was the poor shooting Duke had around him. Now, you can argue that you still kick it out and you still make the smart basketball play but I think the smarter play was for him to attack and try and score because he's such a great finisher and the players around
him couldn’t shoot.

Where I had an issue (and I agree with the Mich St reference because I felt the same thing) was that there were key moments in big games where it seemed like he forgot he had Zion and while I think you can argue that RJ is the more all around skilled player right now, Zion was just more dominant and more unstoppable and there were times RJ didn't seem to care about that and he "had to be the man".

But my issue with the analysis overall is that it doesn't take into account age, situation, players around him, etc...Its seeing him as an 18 y/o and saying, that's who he will be.

Now, he certainly could be right BUT there are some poor assumptions in there.

As for his shooting, that will definitely improve. He may never be a great shooter coming off a screen or moving without the ball but that doesn't mean he can't end up being a good shooter. He will just be more of a catch and shoot type guy and with his driving ability and athleticism, defenders will have to respect that and give him a little room. I'm not worried about him improving his shot. He has a good shot, solid mechanics, etc...Its the same with free throws. I would bet that he is shooting in the 75-83% range within 3 years. I would bet that he is a 35ish% 3pt shooter within 3 years as well.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Hilarious to hear about the spotlight and pressure on RJ Barrett given he played next to one of the most hyped collegiate athletes of all time.

[SportsGuy]

Hilarious to hear about the spotlight and pressure on RJ Barrett given he played next to one of the most hyped collegiate athletes of all time.

Doesn't mean it didn't exist though, especially when the injuries were happening all the time around him.

[mweb08]

James Harden isn't a good comp because James Harden is a really good shooter (and was a much better shooter at the same age). RJ isn't. Yes, it will likely improve, but it's unlikely to improve to anything close to that degree.

RJ is one of the most talented people in this draft, but there is a lot of reason to be concerned about how his game translates to the next level. Being a high volume, low efficiency scorer that doesn't add much off the ball or on defense is either a "good" stats, bad team guy, or someone that can provide some scoring off the bench.

RJ has upside and he may become a star, but if he doesn't, there isn't likely to be much of a middle ground positive outcome. He's not likely to be a 3 and D guy for instance. So when I do a re-draft in 5 years, he may still be in the top 3, but I think it's more likely that he's no longer even in the lottery.

[SportsGuy]

He actually isn’t a bad defensive player but I do think he has a lot of room to grow there.

The one thing he will never have an issue doing is score.

[mweb08]

He actually isn’t a bad defensive player but I do think he has a lot of room to grow there.

The one thing he will never have an issue doing is score.

Doing efficiently will be the key.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Isn’t Westbrook a better comp than Harden?

[mweb08]

Isn’t Westbrook a better comp than Harden?

I'd say so. He's obviously quite a bit taller than Russ, but not nearly as athletic.

[Pedro Cerrano]

I'd say so. He's obviously quite a bit taller than Russ, but not nearly as athletic.

Yea the positions and measurements don’t necesserily jive but I’d say he’s a closer a player to Russ than Harden.

[SportsGuy]

Isn’t Westbrook a better comp than Harden?

I don’t think so. The Harden comp has been there Since he got into school. But he has to be a better shooter to come close to the Harden comp...but again, the shooting will come for him.

I think Westbrook is a better passer...I think Barrett will be a better shooter than Westbrook.

[mweb08]

What is there to say RJ will become a better shooter other than simply hoping things improve over time?

I would assume some improvement but expecting significant improvement doesn't seem to make sense.

[SportsGuy]

What is there to say RJ will become a better shooter other than simply hoping things improve over time?

I would assume some improvement but expecting significant improvement doesn't seem to make sense.

He’s 19 and has a good shot. He has already been working with people since he left Duke to improve his shot (he talked about it on draft night)

It also doesn’t make sense that you are basically painting him into the corner of an 18 y/o who, at times, made poor decisions last year and yet you assume that’s what he will be.

[mweb08]

He’s 19 and has a good shot. He has already been working with people since he left Duke to improve his shot (he talked about it on draft night)

It also doesn’t make sense that you are basically painting him into the corner of an 18 y/o who, at times, made poor decisions last year and yet you assume that’s what he will be.

I'm not painting him into a corner. I don't think I've even mentioned his decision making, or if I did, it wasn't a focal point of my argument. However, things like basketball IQ, defense, and shooting ability in college do tend to translate to the next level. Of course guys tend to improve overall, but most guys who struggle in those areas don't end up improving so much that they end up excelling at them in the NBA. If he can take a leap with his perimeter shooting then he very well could become worth this pick, but that result would be far from the norm.

[SportsGuy]

Your “evidence” for why you don’t like him(since you don’t watch and aren’t forming an opinion yourself) is based off of an article where the chief issue the writer has is his decision making.

So yes, you are mentioning it even if you didn’t use the words.

And he doesn’t have to excel from the perimeter to be really good. He just has to be better and show that he can be a threat from there.

This isn’t a guy who shoots like Iguodala and will struggle to make 30% of his shots.

[mweb08]

Your “evidence” for why you don’t like him(since you don’t watch and aren’t forming an opinion yourself) is based off of an article where the chief issue the writer has is his decision making.

So yes, you are mentioning it even if you didn’t use the words.

And he doesn’t have to excel from the perimeter to be really good. He just has to be better and show that he can be a threat from there.

This isn’t a guy who shoots like Iguodala and will struggle to make 30% of his shots.

As I already said, I looked at a bunch of draft analysis, far from just that one article or analyst.

Shooting is far from the only concern as well.