Many experts are saying that Zion Williamson is the best player on this year’s NBA draft. But there is a solid number of them which believe that those evaluations are not true. That in fact, the No.3 pick RJ Barrett is the guy who has the biggest potential.
Barrett was picked by the New York Knicks. He was projected to be one of the guys who will develop alongside several superstars who were planned to land at the Maddison Square Garden. That eventually didn’t happen, and it seems that the youngster from Duke University now has to step up and take the leading role in this team.
The Knicks are at the bottom of the list when looking the favorites for winning the title. With 250/1, there are only four teams behind them – Wizards, Hornets, Cavaliers, and Suns. The bookies definitely see them as one of the weakest teams in the league and don’t have too much trust in these crew.
The teenager from Toronto, Ontario is not a typical playmaker. With 6-7, more than 200 pounds, and a 6-10 wingspan, he is looking more like a forward than the guy who will organize Knicks’ game. We might say that he is closest to the mix of Penny Hardaway and Scottie Pippen. The speed, intelligence, vision, boosted with strength and power.
Plus there is also one more thing to add – he is left-handed.
Right since he came into the NCAA, the scouts were saying that Barrett is the most complete player of them all. Not maybe the biggest and most hyped name, but that as a player, he is above all others.
And really, when we look at his numbers during the one-year stay at Durham, we could notice that his game had everything. Barrett averaged 22.6 points, had 7.6 boards, 4.3 assists, with almost one steal, and with 45.4% from the field. All that in 38 games, and 35.3 minutes on the floor. We are sure that his versatility index in the NBA is going to be huge.
There is already a huge debate about his chances to win the Rookie of the Year Award. Right now the odds are around 11/2, and Barrett is the third favorite to take that award according to all sports datasets websites. People who live in this country are already fired up because of his arrival to the NBA. They aren’t paying too much attention to the odds, and the fact that for instance, Zion looks better at the bookies.
When looking at the overall situation, this is something worth trying. The potential profit is good, while on the other hand, a bet like this one doesn’t have some high risks in it.
He is the only one of Duke’s trio who played every single match of the season, and one of few lottery picks who didn’t have the slightest problems with injuries. His strong frame and fantastic physical abilities allow him to play at the highest level without certain problems like Zion Williamson, or some other guys.
Barrett’s intelligence is one of his strongest factors. Having Steve Nash for a godfather could only be plus, and there is no way that the two-time MVP didn’t teach the youngster a few lessons.
Although young, Barrett already has an international reputation, as he played in several World Cups where he usually dominated. He was the FIBA U19 World Cup MVP, and led the Canadians to the title, by defeating the USA along the way.
All in all, the ceiling for this guy is way too high, and if he has a little bit of luck, we might have the best Canadian basketball player of all times.