So I was thinking the New York Knicks aren’t sure about RJ Barrett’s future in New York and as much as he wants to be the savior for the Knicks I can’t see any scenario in which RJ Barrett reaches the level of a Luka Doncic. Luka has set the bar so high for young incoming NBA prospects with the amount of success he has had early on in his career that just looking at RJ Barrett so far in his career I am not seeing him move the needle which is why I believe the New York Knicks must trade him for Lonzo Ball. RJ Barrett played alongside Zion Williamson at Duke and will be joining him once again in New Orleans not to mention that pretty much guarantees Zion Williamson stays in New Orleans beyond his rookie deal and David Griffin was vocal about making moves that could shake up the makeup of the team. Lonzo Ball’s role is not defined on the Pelicans, he is playing alongside a combo guard in Eric Bledsoe who needs the ball in his hands to be effective add on Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram who are also shot creators and that leaves Lonzo Ball on an island.
Lonzo Ball will be in the bright lights of New York and most would think Lonzo won’t be able to handle the backlash and pressure he will have to deal with from the Knicks’ fanbase but I think at this stage in his carer he would be ready for it mentally not to mention he already has chemistry with former teammate Julius Randle whom has blossomed into an all-star this season with the Knicks putting up numbers reminiscent to what Tim Duncan was averaging in his prime. Tom Thibodeau would be licking his chops to have the opportunity to coach a point guard with Lonzo’s ability on defense, all Tom would have to do is hand over the keys to the offense to Lonzo and it will be showtime in New York. Lonzo Ball and Julius Randle are both on similar timelines and just on the cusp of hitting their primes and we could be watching what Jason Kidd and Tim Duncan could’ve been if they ever teamed up in both Lonzo Ball and Julius Randle in New York.
Yes I am aware that both Jason Kidd and Tim Duncan are first ballot Hall of Famers and comparing Lonzo Ball and Julius Randle who haven’t even made an All-Star Team in their respective careers to those 2 is disrespectful to say the least but Lonzo Ball and Julius Randle would definitely make some noise in the Eastern Conference. They can both rebound,push the ball up the floor,make plays for others,and are both ever improving shooters which is a recipe for success. The key to Lonzo Ball being in New York would be for him to unlock the Knicks’s offense which has no identity at the moment as the Knicks are one of the worst offenses at the league at the moment, anyone who watched Lonzo Ball at UCLA knows he is more than capable of turning around a basketball team so long he is given the opportunity to run the offense and play to his strengths which up until now has not been the case in his career.
As far as RJ Barrett going over to the New Orleans Pelicans I just think he would be better suited as a third option on a contender and I know he is only 20 years old so I could be completely wrong but I don’t ever see him developing the skills the shot-making ability needed to carry a team offensively. He was never projected to be an elite scorer at the NBA level, he has a 6’6″ frame and weighs in at 210-214 pounds which is solid for a shooting guard but his shooting range is good at best and his ball handling and foot speed are far from overwhelming. That’s not to say he could never become an all-star throughout his career I just think he is better suited alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram who are better suited as a 1st and 2nd options on a contender. RJ Barrett a lot like James Harden will be able to flourish because he no longer will have to live up to what he never was. James Harden for as great as he was in Houston was never able to deliver a championship to the Rockets and even though he will never admit it James Harden knew he couldn’t be the first option on a contender.
To conclude in time the New York Knicks will realize RJ Barrett isn’t what they drafted him to be I’ve just seen it ahead of time because I’ve been watching the kid since his high-school days, hard-worker and I know he drew inspiration from watching The Last Dance wanting to emulate Michael Jordan and how he went about building what he did in Chicago but there is only one Michael Jordan for a reason. As far as Lonzo Ball goes I wanted to see LeBron James play out the remainder of his career with the kid in Los Angeles because I knew LeBron saw a lot of himself in Lonzo but I really believe Lonzo will be a late bloomer and the best is yet to come for him. Lonzo Ball and RJ Barrett are in the wrong roles on the wrong teams which is why they should both swap places, till next time.
D-NBA 