NBA Draft 2019: The 5 Prospects Who Will Have The Most Successful Careers
By Chris Kern
RJ Barrett
R.J. Barrett has all the tools needed to become a star at the next level. He is very good on the offensive end and if he becomes an above average three-point shooter then he will have a complete game.
The way he drives to the basket and finishes through contact to get to the free-throw line has reminded some about James Harden. That’s not saying he’ll be anywhere near that good, but he could have a similar impact attacking the basket.
One area he needs to improve in is his free-throw shooting. He shot 5.9 per game and he very easily could shoot that many per game at the next level. He only made 67% of his free throws in college so if he can get that number up close to 80% that would have a big impact.
During his lone season at Duke, he did a little bit of everything for the Blue Devils. He played alongside other stars such as Zion Williamson and Tre Jones, but he was a huge part of their dominance. In 38 games, he averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game on 45% shooting including 31% from three-point range.
He has a chance to be a triple-double type performer in the NBA. His ability to impact the game in many ways will make him tough to stop. There have been some concerns about him being selfish late in close games, but he isn’t 19 years old until June 14th so he will have a lot of time to grow and continue to learn in that situation.
For him to reach his full NBA potential he will need to be in the right system. He’s more than capable of putting up big numbers leading a lottery team, but if he’s ever going to be a winner I think he will need to be alongside a reliable point guard. If he were somehow given the chance to play alongside Mike Conley in Memphis he’d benefit greatly from that.
No matter where R.J. Barrett ends up he has parts of his game he needs to work on. If he takes the right steps he will be a multiple time all-star, but he does have some areas of concern. I think he will be an Andrew Wiggins type player who can put up big numbers but won’t ever be a true star in the league.