Tag: R.J. Barrett

The Knicks reunited Duke teammates Cam Reddish and R.J. Barrett, so NBA fans want Zion Williamson to join them

Everyone made the same comment on Twitter.

The New York Knicks brought together two of the centerpieces of the 2018-19 Duke team that made it all the way to the regional finals of the ’19 NCAA tournament before losing to Michigan State.

Cam Reddish is now a Knick, with the Atlanta Hawks dealing the small forward to New York. That pairs him with his former Blue Devils teammates R.J. Barrett, who’s coming off of the best two-game stretch of his career.

The third player we’re talking about here? Zion Williamson of course.

Williamson is currently on the mend from foot surgery … and, more importantly, is still a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. That didn’t stop everyone from hoping for a reunion:

R.J. Barrett offers high praise for Obi Toppin after recent workouts

Barrett likes what he has seen so far from Toppin and is excited to have him on the roster this season.

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New York Knicks forward R.J. Barrett has only spent a limited amount of time around first-round pick Obi Toppin but the former third overall pick can already see what he brings to the roster.

Toppin was selected eighth overall by the Knicks after a sensational season at Dayton in which he was named the AP Player of the Year after averaging 20 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and one steal. He has been touted for his versatility, something Barrett noticed.

“We work out at the same time every day so I’ve really been connecting with him, a great dude and a hard worker,” Barrett said on Tuesday. “Very talented, athletic and versatile. I’m excited to have him on our team. I feel like we’ll play well together. … He’s very versatile: Pick and roll, pick and pop, put it on the deck, he can shoot it. I’m excited to have him. He gives us another dimension; very talented.”

The Knicks loved Toppin during the pre-draft process and were said to even be interested in trading up to get him before he fell to them. Toppin should improve even more this season under head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has a strong track record in developing young players.

Led by Thibodeau, the Knicks figure to improve from a 21-45 record last season after a few free-agent additions and growth from the younger players on the roster.

The Knicks will begin preseason play on Dec. 11 vs. the Detroit Pistons.

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Fans are angry R.J. Barrett was snubbed in the NBA All-Rookie voting

Barrett, who was the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, did not place on the NBA All-Rookie First or Second Team.

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On Tuesday, the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First and Second Teams were announced and New York Knicks forward R.J. Barrett was not among those players selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.

Barrett, who was the third overall pick, finished with the most votes among players not selected for either team. He received five first-place votes (worth 2 points) and 41 second-team votes (worth 1 point) to finish with a total of 61 total points, 13 behind Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, who claimed the final spot on the Second Team.

The 20-year-old averaged 14.3 points, five rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal in 56 games played with the Knicks. He ranked third in scoring, fourth in rebounding and fourth in steals among qualified rookies. However, Barrett shot just 40.2% from the field, including 32% from 3-point range, and ranked among the least-efficient shooters in the league.

Barrett was perhaps the biggest snub in the NBA All-Rookie voting after putting up solid numbers across the board. However, when digging a bit deeper, some voters penalized Barrett for his low shooting percentages. He also shot just 61.4% from the free-throw line and had an effective field-goal percentage of 44.5, one of the worst among rookies.

Needless to say, Knicks fans were upset with the omission of Barrett as most felt as though his stats were worthy of at least a Second Team placement. After the results of the voting were released, they immediately took to Twitter to voice their frustration.

Warning: Some tweets may contain explicit language

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Knicks hire Tom Thibodeau and Twitter has already provided the jokes

R.J. Barrett and the rest of the Knicks may be log quite a few minutes on the floor next season.

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On Saturday, the New York Knicks reportedly finalized a five-year contract to hire Tom Thibodeau as their next head coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Thibodeau last served as the head coach and president of the Minnesota Timberwolves before his firing in January 2019. His tumultuous stint with the organization lasted just three years after the trade demand by All-Star Jimmy Butler ultimately led to his firing.

Thibodeau has earned a reputation around the NBA as a hard-nosed coach that demands a lot from his players. He has also been regarded as a strong player development coach but one that often uses his players for long stretches during games.

Based on that reputation of giving his team plenty of minutes, users on social media immediately took to Twitter to fire off some jokes upon news of the hiring, which included R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and other players on the Knicks.

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Canadian Connection: RJ Barrett cherished playing against Jamal Murray

Barrett said a highlight of his rookie season was playing against fellow Canadian Jamal Murray.

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New York Knicks rookie R.J. Barrett said a highlight of his rookie season was facing off against fellow Canadian Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets.

Together, Barrett and Murray represent two integral pieces of Canadian basketball and were both set to play in the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Of course, the Olympic Games have since been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Barrett hosted a Q&A on Twitter on Sunday as part of the “NBA Together” campaign and said Murray was his favorite Canadian player to face this season.

“I got to play against Jamal Murray, that was great,” Barrett said. “I remember playing 1-on-1 against him when I was younger and he would always beat up on me. To go up against him in an NBA game was great.”

Barrett recorded nine points, five assists and three steals during his first meeting against Murray on Dec. 5 while he had seven points in the second meeting on Dec. 15 — both of which were losses. Conversely, Murray scored 14 points in each game against the Knicks.

Canada has burst onto the basketball scene in recent memory. The country has produced 16 NBA players, the most from a non-U.S. country ever on opening-night rosters. That number even expands to 20 with the inclusion of two-way contract players.

With Barrett and Murray among the Canadian players in the NBA, the country appears to have a bright future in future competitions once international play continues.

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2019 NBA Draft: 10 Bold Preseason Predictions Revisited

Rookie Wire revisits 10 bold predictions regarding the 2019 NBA Draft class made prior to the 2019-20 season.

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Back when in October when basketball was being played, we made 10 bold predictions here on Rookie Wire for the Class of 2019 heading into the 2019-20 season.

We vowed to come back to the list to see just how we did, either good or bad. After further review, some of the predictions were just too bold and didn’t come close to happening.

With the season in jeopardy due to the coronavirus pandemic, we decided to revisit the predictions since the regular season likely won’t be played in full, although no official decision has been made.

So, buckle up and let’s see just how we did, and please don’t alert the authorities at Freezing Cold Takes.

1. Matisse Thybulle will finish inside the top 5 in steals among all players

Verdict: Wrong

We had good reason to believe this could happen. Thybulle ranked third among all players in steals during the preseason and was just coming off of an outstanding year at Washington in which he won Defensive Player of the Year. Ultimately, though, his 80 total steals were tied for 22nd among all players prior to the suspension of the regular season on March 11.

2. Tyler Herro will set the NBA rookie record for most 3-pointers

Verdict: Wrong

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell set the rookie record for most 3-pointers in a season with 187. Mitchell shot 34% (187-of-550) from beyond the arc as a rookie and played 33.4 minutes per game. In contrast, Herro made 99 3-pointers this season and averaged 27.2 minutes in 47 games but missed 18 games due to a foot injury and really never had a chance to break the record. His 2.1 3-point makes per game would have fallen short of the goal needed but it likely would have been close had he been healthy all season. Despite missing so much time, Herro’s 99 makes are still fifth among all rookies.

3. Chris Clemons will earn a standard NBA contract from the Rockets

Verdict: Correct

The undrafted guard started off the season on a two-way contract and eventually earned a standard contract from the Houston Rockets in December. Though he has yet to see consistent playing time, Clemons has provided a spark off of the bench at times throughout the season.

4. Zion Williamson will still win the Rookie of the Year award

Verdict: Wrong

Back in October, the initial timeline for Williamson to return from knee surgery was mid-to-late December. Of course, Williamson wouldn’t debut until Jan. 22 and logged only 19 games this season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Of course, a Rookie of the Year winner has not yet been crowned but it is a virtual certainty that Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will win. Had Williamson debuted on time like most had thought, the ROY race would have been closer than it is now.

5. Ja Morant will average at least 10 assists during the upcoming season

Verdict: Wrong, again

While Morant has been an assist machine at times this season, he finished shy of that mark with 6.9 assists per game at the time of the season suspension. He fell well short of the prediction, but, hey, they are called bold predictions for a reason. Morant led all rookies in assists, though, and ranked 14th among all players.

6. Tacko Fall will win the G League Defensive Player of the Year award

Verdict: TBD

While an official decision has yet to be announced, the NBA G League season is basically canceled. The end-of-season awards have not been announced though it is still possible the 7-foot-5 Fall earns the Defensive Player of the Year award. Fall averaged 12.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 29 games played. He finished sixth in rebounding and third in blocks while his 18 double-doubles ranked eighth. He also nearly recorded a point-rebound-block triple-double this season. We’re holding out hope Fall wins to help our prediction rate here…

7. Carsen Edwards will place on an All-Rookie NBA Team

Verdict: No chance

Edwards made just 35 appearances in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and averaged just three points per game. He spent some time in the G League at one point and never seriously challenged for playing time. So, what had happened was… We may have overreacted to some of his electric performances in the preseason and placed a huge prediction on him.

8. R.J. Barrett will start every game he plays for the Knicks

Verdict: Wrong

Barrett earned the start in 55 of the New York Knicks’ 56 games this season. After missing nine games due to a sprained right ankle, Barrett came off of the bench in his first game back on Feb. 6 against the Orlando Magic and logged just 18 minutes of work. He started each game after that through the season suspension.

9. Jordan Poole will log at least 25 minutes per game with the Warriors

Verdict: Wrong

Poole averaged 22.3 minutes per game this season with the Golden State Warriors. The team leaned on him heavily at the beginning of the year after dealing with injuries to several players. Poole was eventually relegated to the G League after struggling but that stint with Santa Cruz proved to help him as he started to get back on track prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

10. Coby White will place on an All-Rookie First Team

Verdict: Doubtful

White largely had an up-and-down rookie campaign but was one of the hottest players in the NBA in February and March. He scored at least 30 points in three straight games from Feb. 22-25 and averaged 24.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 rebounds on 40.7% shooting from 3-point range in 10 games after the All-Star break. While a place on the First Team seems far fetched, it is worth noting awards voter Zach Lowe of ESPN had White on his Second Team.

*****

Upon further review, we were way off with these predictions. But despite batting just 10% this year, we figured what would be more fun than exposing some cold takes?

We hope to get back on track next season, when that time comes.

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R.J. Barrett made a sizeable donation to help COVID-19 relief efforts

The Knicks rookie recently donated $250,000 worth of supplies to help COVID-19 relief efforts in Canada and New York.

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New York Knicks rookie R.J. Barrett recently donated $250,000 worth of supplies to help COVID-19 relief efforts in Canada and New York, according to the New York Post.

Of the $250,000 worth of supplies donated, Barrett offered $100,000 to the Mississauga food bank, which has nine locations throughout Ontario. The money donated to the bank was enough to provide over 200,000 meals to residents.

The former Duke product is spending time with his family in Orlando, Florida. He has kept updated on the status of things in New York, near the epicenter of the coronavirus, and across Canada and wanted to help as much as he could.

Some of the other supplies that were donated:

  • Disposable face shields
  • KN95 masks
  • Gowns and microporous disposable coveralls
  • Face masks

Several players and teams across the NBA have joined together to help support those deeply affected by the coronavirus pandemic as Barrett is the latest example of those efforts.

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Team Canada will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics if held in 2020

Jamal Murray, R.J. Barrett and Oshae Brissett were among the basketball players set to play in the qualifying tournament this summer.

The Canadian Olympic Committee announced on Sunday that they will not send athletes to compete in the Olympic Games set to be held in Tokyo this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games,” the Canadian Olympic Committee said in a statement. “In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow.”

Canada is the first country to pull out of the 2020 Tokyo Games due to the coronavirus outbreak and they also called upon the International Olympic Committee to consider postponing the Games until 2021. The IOC announced last week they will make a decision within four weeks on the status of the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Canada sent 314 athletes across 27 sports to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio where they collected 22 medals, including four gold. Athletes Penny Oleksiak (swimming), Rosie MacLennan (gymnastics), Derek Drouin (high jump) and Erica Wiebe (wrestling) all took home gold medals.

Canada was set to make a strong run in basketball this summer with several of the top countrymen committing to play in the qualifying tournament in June, including Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, R.J. Barrett, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Oshae Brissett among others.

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Coby White stays red-hot for the Bulls

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top rookies through the latest week of the 2019-20 NBA season.

While Zion Williamson continues to leave his mark on the NBA, it has been the emergence of Coby White that has been perhaps the next biggest storyline of the rookie class.

White has been on an absolute tear over his last nine games with the Bulls, culminating with his first career start Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After much discussion this season, White finally had an opportunity to start and he showed why he belongs.

As White continues to stay hot, other first-year players have started cooling off as some are beginning to hit the infamous rookie wall. With just over a month remaining, the race to finish out the season should be fun to watch among these rookie players.

Here are the latest Rookie Wire Power Rankings:

All stats are through games played on March 10

Honorable Mention:

R.J. Barrett, New York Knicks: 14.1 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Barrett has had an inconsistent year shooting the ball but has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games with the Knicks. Barrett has had some incredible moments this season, like hitting the game-sealing layup against the Houston Rockets, and has laid out a promising future ahead.

Kendrick Nunn, Miami Heat: 15.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds

With the exception of a recent two-game slide, Nunn has continued to play well this season for the Heat. Nunn has emerged as a key piece for head coach Erik Spoelstra and is well on his way to an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection.

Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves: 9 points, 4.1 rebounds

His overall numbers this season don’t jump off the page but Reid has emerged as a key player for the Timberwolves as of late. He is posting 11 points and 6.6 rebounds over his last eight games and recently strung together back-to-back double-doubles for the first time this season.

No. 5 | No. 4 | No. 3 | No. 2 | No. 1

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R.J. Barrett hit a clutch layup to seal Knicks’ win over Rockets

Barrett tied a career-high with 27 points to lead the Knicks to an improbable win over the Rockets on Monday night.

R.J. Barrett tied a career-high and made a game-sealing layup with 7.6 seconds left to lead the New York Knicks to a 125-123 win over the Houston Rockets.

Barrett scored 27 points, including 14 alone in the first quarter, to help the Knicks win. He also added five rebounds, five assists and one steal while he shot 10-of-18 from the field in 30 minutes of work.

With just over 10 seconds remaining, and the Knicks up by one point, Barrett dribbled to his left with P.J. Tucker on him. Barrett drove to the basket and went right through Tucker to finish at the rim with his left hand.