{"id":94243,"date":"2024-09-04T03:52:28","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T07:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=94243"},"modified":"2024-09-04T03:52:28","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T07:52:28","slug":"raptors-home-talent-rj-barrett-knicks-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/04\/raptors-home-talent-rj-barrett-knicks-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Raptors\u2019 Home Talent Opens Up About Knicks Trade"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the New York Knicks traded RJ Barrett<\/a> to the Toronto Raptors, the decision marked the end of an era<\/a>. The third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke, he was expected to help lead the Knicks out of the dungeon. Instead, after 345 total games, he found himself on a plane back home.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t for a New Year\u2019s vacation.<\/p>\n

Raptors\u2019 RJ Barrett Opens Up About Knicks Trade<\/h2>\n

Discussing the move in a recent interview with Sharp Magazine\u2019s David Stol, Barrett says that \u201cpeople forget that we really built something there<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

When I arrived, we weren\u2019t contending. We weren\u2019t close, really,\u201d Barrett argues. \u201cMy sophomore year, we made the playoffs. Then, we just kept building. We gave the fans something to cheer for. And they deserve it, man. It\u2019s a tough city but you earn their love. I\u2019m glad we got there for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat pressure was really special,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

A Different Type Of Pressure<\/h3>\n

If all\u2019s well that ends well, Barrett may not be too bothered that that Knicks stopped believing in him after just four-plus seasons. Those years were certainly strenuous in part due to the infamously passionate fans. However, teams rarely make front office decisions based on fan opinions. The most that can be said is that pressure from the fan base added to the mood that was already in the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

A franchise still looking to reclaim its 90s glory, the Knicks want to be championship contenders.<\/p>\n

Like the Knicks, the Raptors are looking to win another championship. However, without as many glory days to compare their current state to, Toronto\u2019s fans are a bit more ambivalent about whether their team comes away with an NBA title at the end of the season. However, Barrett says that \u201cthere\u2019s a different kind of pressure coming back to Toronto \u2014 coming back home\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a literal dream come true. I grew up with my dad taking me to games. [\u2026] When I found out I was coming home, I didn\u2019t know how to act. I was pinching myself and telling my people, \u2018We\u2019re really here. We\u2019re playing for the Toronto Raptors.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s one that the 24-year-old feels \u201cblessed to have.\u201d<\/p>\n

One Man\u2019s Trash Is Another Man\u2019s Treasure<\/h3>\n

In a vacuum, Barrett is a very good player. He\u2019s a notch or two below elite, with a career average of 18.4 points per game. In any given game, he can play the part of a takeover scorer. At his best, he\u2019s an efficient slasher with the ability to knock down shots from all three levels.<\/p>\n

Yer, he\u2019s not an exceptional athlete with regard to his burst or vertical explosion. As driving is his best skill, this is particularly unfortunate. With that being said, Barrett is a career 34.6 percent 3-point shooter. When considering that the Knicks traded him for a marquee 3-and-D player, this may be his most glaring weakness.<\/p>\n

His growth as a playmaker and defender wasn\u2019t even enough for New York to keep him anymore. Not with additions like Josh Hart<\/a> and Donte DiVincenzo<\/a>. However, as teams often find out, a player undervalued by one franchise can excel when given the opportunity. In fact, that\u2019s how the Knicks ended up with Jalen Brunson<\/a>, a player whose scoring talents helped make Barrett expendable.<\/p>\n

For the Raptors, this has led to the Toronto native putting up career numbers<\/a>.<\/p>\n