Post by TinyTimPig on Jun 27, 2022 21:10:16 GMT -5
R.J. Barrett
SF
6'7
202
19
Duke
The top high school prospect in the nation prior to last season, R.J. Barrett was overshadowed by teammate Zion Williamson during his lone season at Duke, though he was still a major piece in the Blue Devils' Elite Eight run. He could be counted on to fill up the box score every night as he averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He was always around the ball as he loved to shoot, went hard after defensive rebounds, and got teammates involved. Barrett displays all of the athleticism that should give him a very high ceiling at the next level.
Scouts were a little bit disappointed in Barrett's efficiency. While he loved to shoot, he only shot 45% from the field, 30% from three, and 66% from the line, and despite all the misses he showcased a remarkable allergy to the offensive backboard. All of those numbers will need to improve at the next level for him to be the player he has the potential to be. And despite his athleticism, he really didn't make as much of an impact on defense as you'd like to see, averaging less than one steal per game and offering almost nothing in the blocks department. Turnovers were a touch high as well, though he was basically the team's second point guard when Tre Jones was on the bench. His usage was extremely high so it's not expected that these will be a major issue at the next level.
An excellent athlete who has shown flashes of brilliance but hasn't quite been able to put it all together, Barrett is loaded with potential but could certainly take a few years to reach that lofty ceiling.
