But Barrett led all scorers with 30 points, including 20 in the first half, and he inspired Jalen Brunson, former teammate of the otherworldly Luka Doncic, to say the following about Barrett’s bid to become an elite player: “I think he can be an All-Star. I think he can be a very impactful player, I think he can lead a franchise, and that’s what he was picked here to do. He can do it. I have the utmost faith in him. He works very hard. He has a great demeanor about how he plays. You never see when he’s frustrated, you never see when he’s having the game of his life. … It shows he’s not afraid of the moment, not afraid of anything. He’s capable of doing a lot of big things.”
Source: Ian O’Connor @ New York Post
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Ian Begley @IanBegley
Talked to @mmargaux8 about Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett helping NYK to a win over DET; Knicks receiving some early-season trade calls: pic.twitter.com/IXDvIfwzIs – 12:05 AM
Talked to @mmargaux8 about Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett helping NYK to a win over DET; Knicks receiving some early-season trade calls: pic.twitter.com/IXDvIfwzIs – 12:05 AM
Dan Favale @danfavale
rj barrett the first five games:
—18.2 pts
—2.2 ast
—48.4 2p%
—14.3 3p%
rj barrett the last seven games:
—21.5 pts
—3.7 ast
—53.0 2p%
—42.9 3p% – 10:28 PM
rj barrett the first five games:
—18.2 pts
—2.2 ast
—48.4 2p%
—14.3 3p%
rj barrett the last seven games:
—21.5 pts
—3.7 ast
—53.0 2p%
—42.9 3p% – 10:28 PM
Ian Begley @IanBegley
Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett & Julius Randle combine for 77 pts & 17 ast in NYK’s win over DET. Brunson adds 4 stls, makes some key plays late as DET tried to make a run. DET & NYK combine to go 17-for-71 from beyond the arc. NYK improves to 6-6, bounced back after bad loss in BKN. – 10:16 PM
Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett & Julius Randle combine for 77 pts & 17 ast in NYK’s win over DET. Brunson adds 4 stls, makes some key plays late as DET tried to make a run. DET & NYK combine to go 17-for-71 from beyond the arc. NYK improves to 6-6, bounced back after bad loss in BKN. – 10:16 PM
StatMuse @statmuse
RJ Barrett tonight:
30 PTS
5 REB
5 AST
3 3P
10-17 FG
Averaging 23/6 on 48/41% shooting in his last 5 games. pic.twitter.com/3yRLM2xsnt – 10:08 PM
RJ Barrett tonight:
30 PTS
5 REB
5 AST
3 3P
10-17 FG
Averaging 23/6 on 48/41% shooting in his last 5 games. pic.twitter.com/3yRLM2xsnt – 10:08 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Walt Frazier: “You’re fine. Just play defense and don’t foul.”
(RJ Barrett immediately commits a foul) – 10:03 PM
Walt Frazier: “You’re fine. Just play defense and don’t foul.”
(RJ Barrett immediately commits a foul) – 10:03 PM
Chuck Cooperstein @coopmavs
Given what’s happened in the 1st 10+ games, what we thought in the summer has played out. Jalen Brunson affected Mavs success far more, than whatever success he’d have with NY. He’s been very good with NY, but has not, as yet, moved the team’s needle as he did with DAL – 6:56 PM
Given what’s happened in the 1st 10+ games, what we thought in the summer has played out. Jalen Brunson affected Mavs success far more, than whatever success he’d have with NY. He’s been very good with NY, but has not, as yet, moved the team’s needle as he did with DAL – 6:56 PM
Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
Jason Kidd and staff discuss Mavs trends in 10-game chunks and finished their first eval meeting Thursday a.m.
Biggest concerns so far:
— Luka’s usage
— Jalen Brunson’s void, still
— Q4 woes
More on that, with some of JKidd’s most revealing insights yet:
dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 3:56 PM
Jason Kidd and staff discuss Mavs trends in 10-game chunks and finished their first eval meeting Thursday a.m.
Biggest concerns so far:
— Luka’s usage
— Jalen Brunson’s void, still
— Q4 woes
More on that, with some of JKidd’s most revealing insights yet:
dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 3:56 PM
Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
In many respects, Jalen Brunson is a bellwether for the Knicks.
New York is 0-4 when he shoots below 45% from the floor.
New York is 5-2 when he shoots above 45% from the floor.
tommybeer.substack.com/p/knicks-catch… – 10:33 AM
In many respects, Jalen Brunson is a bellwether for the Knicks.
New York is 0-4 when he shoots below 45% from the floor.
New York is 5-2 when he shoots above 45% from the floor.
tommybeer.substack.com/p/knicks-catch… – 10:33 AM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Nic Claxton had Jalen Brunson in jail on switches tonight.
Clax continues to show why he is among the league’s top perimeter-defending big men. pic.twitter.com/2ydLJvn62Y – 11:52 PM
Nic Claxton had Jalen Brunson in jail on switches tonight.
Clax continues to show why he is among the league’s top perimeter-defending big men. pic.twitter.com/2ydLJvn62Y – 11:52 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Nic Claxton just absolutely clamped Jalen Brunson for an entire possession. – 8:30 PM
Nic Claxton just absolutely clamped Jalen Brunson for an entire possession. – 8:30 PM
More on this storyline
“I know what everyone else knows. It’s a situation I hope they get sorted out over there. It’s our next game, that’s all I care about,” Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson said. “I’ll watch them occasionally but I haven’t really dug into them. The next day or so I’ll get into them further,” Thibodeau said when asked about the Nets after the win Monday. “I worry about the Knicks. That’s more than enough for me.” -via New York Post / November 9, 2022
But whatever Brunson said to Toppin seemed to motivate him. Toppin hit five of seven shots in the fourth quarter, including three threes. His play was key in New York’s win over the short-handed Sixers. “He just needed me to play harder. And he looked at me and told me to play harder,” Toppin said of the argument with Brunson. “And I was like, ‘I got you.’ Little bit extra words. But I had to step it up and he made it known I had to step up. It happened in the second half.” -via SportsNet New York / November 7, 2022
What all was being asked by New York? Donovan Mitchell: I was told it was RJ Barrett and hella (draft) picks. That’s what I heard. And I thought that was happening. I thought that was it. I’m there (on the East Coast) all offseason. I’m there in the summer. So that’s why I thought, “All right, this is gonna be a long haul in Cleveland (if they gave up Garland, Mobley and/or Allen in the deal).” But when I found out those guys were (not in the deal), it was like, “All right, we can really do something. Like, we really could do something.” Nothing to slight the guys that were involved in the deal going to Utah. But for me, it was just like, “We have the talent.” I said it at the press conference: Our talent is scary, but we’ve got to go out there and do it. -via The Athletic / November 11, 2022
Ian Begley: Fan in a John Starks jersey hit a half-court shot to win a KIA car at MSG tonight. He celebrated by shoulder-bumping RJ Barrett and hugging Julius Randle. -via Twitter @IanBegley / November 5, 2022
The offense was capped last season at subpar levels. It’s nearly impossible for a team to overcome two players who make up so much of the attack, Randle and RJ Barrett, both scoring at well below-average efficiencies. Well, it’s happening again — and with Brunson, too. Brunson, Barrett and Randle have combined for a 51.6 true shooting percentage. Brunson, at 55.0, is the best of the three. Randle follows at 52.2 and Barrett at 47.9. The league average is 56.9. -via The Athletic / November 1, 2022