Uptown wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:from the post:
"Barrett is the only freshman in ACC history to average 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds per game, and he did it while sharing the ball with national phenomenon Zion Williamson."

Look at how Barrett played without Zion. More aggressive, played with more confidence. Two max slots for FAs. Hope isnt "Davis or bust". Thats how bad deals are made.

RJ is a dawg is will thrive in NY!!! I've said before that as well as RJ played in college, his game will be even better in the NBA with the spacing, especially if he can team with a shooter or 2. He has the potential to be a multiple all star....

I know the consensus is that it wouldn't work. But on the off chance we dont max out a PG,.DSJr isnt traded. It cost nothing to see if Barrett/Smith can work. If DSJr comes back in better shape, and.with a more reliable shot. They could be the definition of "dynamic duo" The way they both attack the rim would open things up for the 3.

Dont know for sure if Smith can take his game to the next level. Seems like a waste not to take a season to find out. Depends on wether or not we max out a PG. Might find that decision was made by the players signing elsewhere. As plan B's go, it cant get much cheaper, capwise.

BigDaddyG wrote:

dwiley20 wrote:I sure am excited....we are big and athletic, Knox Barrett are both 6'8...

6'9" and 6'7" respectively, but it averages out 6'8" lol

They both might still be growing, Frank too!

BigDaddyG wrote:Real good analysis on RJ by a former NBA scout. This guy thinks Culver is a better prospect, an opinion I don't share. But he points out a lot strengths and weaknesses in Barrett's game.

Good video. If he can correct some of those footwork flaws, he’ll be fine. Him being bad with his right is concerning though. If he dedicates this whole Summer to working on his left and obviously his shot mechanics, he’ll be in decent shape. He has a ton of potential.

smackeddog wrote:

Allanfan20 wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:Real good analysis on RJ by a former NBA scout. This guy thinks Culver is a better prospect, an opinion I don't share. But he points out a lot strengths and weaknesses in Barrett's game.

Good video. If he can correct some of those footwork flaws, he’ll be fine. Him being bad with his right is concerning though. If he dedicates this whole Summer to working on his left and obviously his shot mechanics, he’ll be in decent shape. He has a ton of potential.

I agree. Look at how Trier developed using his off hand as the season went on- a lot of RJ critics act like he's a five year vet, he's 18 with a great work ethic, and I don't think any of his flaws aren't fixable with work.

I find it funny how most scouts emphasize the fact most lefty's struggle going right, and hardly ever point out how most righty's struggle going left! Like you said, he's young, plenty of time to develop his right....I'm in the ATL and caught some Hawks games and Trae Young is ALL Right and put up crazy numbers the second half of the year! James Harden is all left as well (he's improved his right hand some over the years) and was the MVP last year....With proper training, RJ will be all right

UVA - 22.7 FG%, 0 3P%
MSU - 25 FG%, 33 3P%
Gonzaga - 26.3% FG%, 25 3P%

yeah he played great against Michigan and before that. But I mean I see a guy that will get dominated by the size and strength and speed of the NBA. I think that YouTube scout is a former NBA scout for a reason.

TheGame wrote:I am very excited about Barrett. I would have been happy with any of the top 3, but Barrett will provide us with a SG who can drive and pass, which takes pressure off of Smith to have to run the offense all the time. If Smith can improve his outside shooting (Barrett needs to improve to), we would have pretty potent backcourt from the stand point of being super athletic with strong scoring instincts. Barrett is going to instantly be the best player on our team at the offensive end.

My only worry is that the three of them together- DSJ, Knox and RJ- are all pretty inefficient players and not great shooters. Hopefully they all improve over summer

BigDaddyG wrote:

jskinny35 wrote:I get that he struggled with his outside shooting percentage his Freshman year at Duke but... is there something else I'm missing about his game and/or flaws? He seems fluid/smooth, polished and appears mature/coachable. Also,he did step up a bit when Zion was out. I've heard comps to Derozan (although not as athletic) and he seems to have an NBA-ready body. Please let me know why we don't have a potential NBA stud that just needs a year or two to find his way...

He's aight. But when you see Zion, you see a potential superstar. I'm not as big on Morant, but there are plenty of other people who see the potential for superstardom in him. I think plenty of people, myself included, think RJ will be a nice, but not transformative player. He'd be fine as the third pick. I think his floor is higher than Morant's, but way lower than Zion's.

There is a chance (however tiny) that in 5 years, RJ is a better pro than Zion. I think it all really depends on whether they continue to improve their jumpers.

If Zion never learns to shoot and RJ becomes a stepback assassin...

NYKBocker wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

TheGame wrote:I am very excited about Barrett. I would have been happy with any of the top 3, but Barrett will provide us with a SG who can drive and pass, which takes pressure off of Smith to have to run the offense all the time. If Smith can improve his outside shooting (Barrett needs to improve to), we would have pretty potent backcourt from the stand point of being super athletic with strong scoring instincts. Barrett is going to instantly be the best player on our team at the offensive end.

My only worry is that the three of them together- DSJ, Knox and RJ- are all pretty inefficient players and not great shooters. Hopefully they all improve over summer

Knox will improve just with a role change. He should be more of a spot up shooter. He will improve. I wouldn't count on Smith improving much as a shooter though. He would need a complete reinvention of his jumper.

I agree about Knox. His shot will get better and I think this is all connected to his strength and conditioning.

DSJr is a little tougher.

Actually though, I want Frank to get his shot more consistent. His defensive presence is the perfect compliment for RJ and Mitch. Imagine those 3 creating havoc? Now add KD and Knox....that is a long lineup.

I think DSJ is pretty straight forward. He's clearly gotten to this point relying on athleticism. That isn't as much of an advantage in the NBA. Either he develops his fundamentals or he doesn't. I think it's that simple

Knixkik wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

TheGame wrote:I am very excited about Barrett. I would have been happy with any of the top 3, but Barrett will provide us with a SG who can drive and pass, which takes pressure off of Smith to have to run the offense all the time. If Smith can improve his outside shooting (Barrett needs to improve to), we would have pretty potent backcourt from the stand point of being super athletic with strong scoring instincts. Barrett is going to instantly be the best player on our team at the offensive end.

My only worry is that the three of them together- DSJ, Knox and RJ- are all pretty inefficient players and not great shooters. Hopefully they all improve over summer

Knox will improve just with a role change. He should be more of a spot up shooter. He will improve. I wouldn't count on Smith improving much as a shooter though. He would need a complete reinvention of his jumper.

I agree about Knox. His shot will get better and I think this is all connected to his strength and conditioning.

DSJr is a little tougher.

Actually though, I want Frank to get his shot more consistent. His defensive presence is the perfect compliment for RJ and Mitch. Imagine those 3 creating havoc? Now add KD and Knox....that is a long lineup.

DSjr is tough i agree. I think he's better suited for a 6th man role down the line. we need a better shooter/facilitator at PG. If Barrett eventually develops into a lead playmaker, you need more of a Patrick Beverley at the PG. That's if you don't get a Kyrie/Kemba of course. Either way, Smith needs the ball in his hands and needs to be let loose. Guys like Schroder, Lou Williams, Jordan Clarkson, D Rose, etc are better suited for 6th man roles and i think Smith fits that mold.

One of the strengths of RJ listed in the video I posted is his passing out of the pick and roll. I'm not sure he can be a full-time initiator, but I think he can do it for stretches. The junpshot needs to improve. He also needs to develop counter moves with his right hand. Defenses are too sophisticated for him to be so left hand dominant.

GustavBahler wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

TheGame wrote:I am very excited about Barrett. I would have been happy with any of the top 3, but Barrett will provide us with a SG who can drive and pass, which takes pressure off of Smith to have to run the offense all the time. If Smith can improve his outside shooting (Barrett needs to improve to), we would have pretty potent backcourt from the stand point of being super athletic with strong scoring instincts. Barrett is going to instantly be the best player on our team at the offensive end.

My only worry is that the three of them together- DSJ, Knox and RJ- are all pretty inefficient players and not great shooters. Hopefully they all improve over summer

Knox will improve just with a role change. He should be more of a spot up shooter. He will improve. I wouldn't count on Smith improving much as a shooter though. He would need a complete reinvention of his jumper.

I agree about Knox. His shot will get better and I think this is all connected to his strength and conditioning.

DSJr is a little tougher.

Actually though, I want Frank to get his shot more consistent. His defensive presence is the perfect compliment for RJ and Mitch. Imagine those 3 creating havoc? Now add KD and Knox....that is a long lineup.

I think DSJ is pretty straight forward. He's clearly gotten to this point relying on athleticism. That isn't as much of an advantage in the NBA. Either he develops his fundamentals or he doesn't. I think it's that simple

Hard to find players who dont have some part of their game that needs work early on. Its about how much work is needed. Here is an article from this season in Dallas. Before his back problems kicked in, I guess.

Smith hasnt played like Rose did in NY, stat padding, freezing out players. Has floor general qualities which sometimes seem to be overwhelmed by a lack of maturity. Guessing DSJr knows his career is at a crossroads. Enough incentive for him to come back ready to ball.

https://fansided.com/2019/01/18/dennis-smith-jr-trade-improvement/amp/

Actually, Smith’s been having a pretty good season. One big area of improvement for him has been his accuracy from beyond the arc; at this point his 3-point percentage has improved by about six percentage points compared to last season, making his game much more versatile.

One particularly intriguing thing about Smith’s improved 3-point shooting this season has been his ability to create opportunities from deep off the dribble, a skill he didn’t possess last year. This season he’s shooting an impressive 42.3 percent from 3 after 3-6 dribbles compared to a 23.9 3-point percentage off the same type of shot during his rookie season. Smith thrives in general when the ball is in his hands, so developing this skill further will benefit him more than focusing on catch-and-shoot 3s.