RJ Barrett has gotten off to a solid start with the Toronto Raptors.
The 23-year-old was acquired by Toronto in a five-team trade with the New York Knicks.
Barrett is trying to make good on his fresh new start with the Raptors. While many are high on his game, former Knicks player Carmelo Anthony took a shot at the forward on 7PM In Brooklyn:
“He’s just a bland player bro. That’s not a shot. That’s not disrespect. I ask a lot of…Knicks fans…it’s just like, he’s good, he get it done sometimes, but he’s not an exciting player. You don’t know if he got 4 or 26.”
Carmelo Anthony on RJ Barrett: “He’s just a bland player bro. That’s not a shot. That’s not disrespect. I ask a lot of…Knicks fans…it’s just like, he’s good, he get it done sometimes, but he’s not an exciting player. You don’t know if he got 4 or 26.”
Mero: “…And the… pic.twitter.com/Bt7VS4JrNc
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 12, 2024
Barrett did recently struggle against the Utah Jazz where he put up 4 points on 2-9 shooting.
This isn’t the first time he has received criticism since being traded to Toronto. According to Zach Lowe, some people around the league view Barrett as a ‘toxic asset.’
Barrett looks to impress with his new team
One of the things Barrett needs to prove is that he can in fact be a consistent player. With the Knicks he struggled to find consistency and his true identity as New York tried to use him as a three-pointer shooter.
Whereas so far with the Raptors, Barrett has demonstrated his ability to get downhill and finish at the basket.
He had three strong outings in a row putting up 37 points in a win over the Golden State Warriors, 23 points in a controversial loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and 24 points in a hard fought loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Barrett’s lone blemish so far is the poor outing he had against the Jazz. Hopefully, Barrett can continue his strong play with Toronto and silences the critics.
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