I just read an article speaking about how the New York Knicks might consider moving RJ Barrett for an established star and I
also heard Mitchell Robinson’s name mentioned in trade rumors throughout the season and I thought to myself what are the Knicks thinking? I thought the Knicks were on the right track by hiring Leon Rose to run things in New York but if they move RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson I am all but done being a Knicks fan. I reside in New Jersey but ever since the Nets left New Jersey for Brooklyn I could care less if they brought over Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, not to mention I am not the biggest fan of Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving so who cares if they Nets manage to sign both. I was a big Allan Houston fan growing up so I watched the Knicks lose and finish 30-52 in the early 2000’s and the big reason why was because I enjoyed watching Allan Houston shoot that beautiful jumper every night at 7:30 pm on MSG. Ever since Allan Houston took an exit from the NBA due to knee injuries and after fleecing the Knicks for $120 million dollars the love and passion remained when they brought over Stephon Marbury but the moment they gave Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford humongous contracts that was it for me. Fast forward to now and the Knicks have done a good job drafting, they made the right choice drafting RJ Barrett who actually wanted to suit up for the Knicks and finding a gem in Mitchell Robinson with unlimited potential.
I know RJ Barrett has been inconsistent in his rookie season and if you watched him at Duke last season you would think he would’ve made a smooth transition in his first year in the NBA but it hasn’t turned out that way. He has been inconsistent yes and a lot of Knicks fans out there believe he will be a borderline all-star in his career maybe make 2-3 all-star games in his career and washed out but I disagree. I liken RJ Barrett’s rookie season to Trae Young’s because Trae got it going the second half of his rookie season and has blossomed into an all-star in Atlanta. Not to say that RJ Barrett will do the same but we are talking about a 6’6 guard who is already over 200 pounds and can score in a multitude of ways. He’s proven himself to be a reliable play-maker at the shooting-guard position hauling at least 5 assists in several games this season and I believe he’ll be shooting the 3 ball in the neighborhood of 30 to possibly 40 percent in his career. He shot 32 percent from the 3 point land this season and is far from an erratic shooting guard, he is an efficient guard who mixes it up with drives to the rim,shooting,passing, and he has potential to be an excellent defender. What I like most about RJ Barrett is he has an unselfish mentality towards the game as he was vocal about Julius Randle’s ball dominant ways throughout the season emphasizing more ball movement from the team. I once heard RJ Barrett say post-game so long multiple players are scoring in double figures that it is a good thing, that tells me he won’t be jacking up 25-30 shots on a nightly basis on low efficiency and that he wants to play the game the right way.
Now to Mitchell Robinson who was not a lottery pick but the Knicks drafted him with hopes that once it all clicks for Mitchell Robinson mentally and physically that they could a possible hybrid of Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard which is downright terrifying if you ask me. Robinson’s wingspan is out of this world and he is far from a raw center that can only rebound and block shots, Mitchell Robinson if the Knicks remain patient with his development will be scoring over 15 points a night,hauling down 10-20 rebounds a night and blocking at least 4-5 shots a night. But again the Knicks need to stick the course and not trade Barrett and Robinson. I believe both Barrett and Robinson will prove to be a lethal duo next season and the Knicks could shoot for the playoffs so long they swing a home-run in the 2020 NBA Draft and bring in the right coach to lead this young group. I would personally draft Cole Anthony and hire Kenny Atkinson as the head coach but that is out of my control so I’ll just keep my fingers crossed that maybe Leon Rose runs into my article before draft night. The Knicks say they will wait for the next disgruntled star to appear and pounce on him but who will it be? Damian Lillard? Joel Embiid? Bradley Beal? No offense to any of those guys but I’d much rather develop RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson who have high ceilings and could be perennial all-stars over the next 10 years.
To conclude what big free-agent is coming to New York? For some reason I think about the Lakers who managed to bring over LeBron James and traded away Lonzo Ball,Brandon,Ingram,and Josh Hart all young pieces the Lakers drafted for an established superstar in Anthony Davis. The only problem is LeBron James is arguably the greatest basketball player ever and there is no one close to LeBron’s stratosphere within reach for the Knicks to sign in free-agency where trading away their young core would make sense. Now if you told me Giannis Antetokoumpo was coming to New York 2021 then I might consider moving RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson but even then I would rather keep both those guys to pair with Giannis because I really believe their will be a ton of all-star games ahead for RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson it will only be a matter of time. Quick fixes never work and the Knicks have been vocal about focusing on player development after striking out on bringing over Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to New York so why change up now? The Knicks need to stop Knicking and letting history repeat itself time and time again, RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson’s ascension will be worth the wait, till next time.
D-NBA 