New York Knicks forward RJ Barrett delivered a dreadful performance on Friday as Team Canada lost to Brazil 69-65 in stunning fashion. The 23-year-old forward has notoriously been consistently inconsistent in his NBA career up to this point, a trend which has continued in the FIBA World Cup.
RJ Barrett’s inconsistencies carry into the FIBA World Cup
In Friday’s loss to Brazil, Barrett managed only 4 points on just 1-8 from the field and 1-4 from three-point range. This is Barrett’s second performance in the FIBA World Cup in which he only scored once from the field, as on August 25th against France, Barrett scored only 5 points on 1-10 from the field.
However, sandwiched in between these porous performances are a 17-point, 7-12 from the field effort against Lebanon, and a 22-point, 9-14 effort against Latvia. It is truly impossible to predict which version of Barrett will show up on any given night.
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Barrett’s poor performance led to a streak-snapping loss for Team Canada
The loss also ended Team Canada’s undefeated streak at the FIBA World Cup, winning their first three games of the tournament by an average score of 37 points.
The ever-so-unpredictable Barrett and the rest of Team Canada will look to bounce back and keep their tournament alive on Sunday vs. Spain in a must-win matchup to advance to the Quarterfinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. EST.
The Knicks need a more consistent version of Barrett this season
Barrett is entering a make-or-break 2023 season. Now in the fifth season of his career, the Knicks need Barrett to elevate his game this season. As New York continues to search for another superstar to add to the lineup, Barrett’s name continues to come up in trade speculation. The Knicks are hoping that Barrett leaves his inconsistencies behind in the FIBA World Cup and enters the 2023 NBA season ready to break out.
