"The Ringer" Weighs In On RJ

[slower]

https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2018/11/29/18116769/rj-barrett-duke-zion-williamson

Yeah, I'm sure some of the mods and others won't like this thread. But whether you like this take or not, it's out there.

Hey, I don't make the news - I just report it. :p


(For the record, I think RJ will be okay. He's learning.)

[budwom]

Not a bad article at all. Barrett is learning, and that's good. Hopefully something of an ironic outcome here: the writer says Barrett should defer more to Zion, the better player (in his estimation)....if he does so (and I suspect he will, just pass a bit more, shoot a bit less) then Barrett may in fact re-emerge as the best player. Or equal. Or whatever.

[Truth&Justise]

Really nothing very new here. Basically:

1. RJ is scoring but not as efficiently as Zion.
2. RJ missed a number of shots at the end of the Gonzaga game.

From this the author talks about RJ needing to trust his teammates more. Not the worst take, but also it's very early -- what would we all have said after Jasyon Tatum's first handful of games?

It's a process, the guys are figuring it out. This is a fun team with a lot of potential and RJ is going to be great.

[BandAlum83]

I was surprised by some of the really low percentile rankings that were showing up. I'm sure small ample size and such, but still.

[flyingdutchdevil]

https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2018/11/29/18116769/rj-barrett-duke-zion-williamson

Yeah, I'm sure some of the mods and others won't like this thread. But whether you like this take or not, it's out there.

Hey, I don't make the news - I just report it. :p


(For the record, I think RJ will be okay. He's learning.)

Good article. It's a good thing Barrett plays for Coach K, because I'm sure Coach K agrees with a lot in the article (even though Coach K is saying the opposite in public).

We need Barrett to be aggressive. We don't need Barrett to have that insane usage rate.

[slower]

Really nothing very new here. Basically:

1. RJ is scoring but not as efficiently as Zion.
2. RJ missed a number of shots at the end of the Gonzaga game.

From this the author talks about RJ needing to trust his teammates more. Not the worst take, but also it's very early -- what would we all have said after Jasyon Tatum's first handful of games?

It's a process, the guys are figuring it out. This is a fun team with a lot of potential and RJ is going to be great.

Yep. Looks like this year's media narratives are set.

[sagegrouse]

Anyway, for those still worried about R.J. Barrett, here is a bio entry that should give him more than a little wiggle room and head clearance to get his bearings at Duke.

Per Wikipedia:


In July 2017, Barrett made headlines with a 38-point, 13-rebound, and 5-assist showing as he guided Canada's under-19 squad to a 99–87 semifinal win over the US at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. At the time, Northpolehoops.com described this performance as Barrett's "biggest game of his career so far". He subsequently led Canada to the title, tallying game-highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds in the championship game against Italy, and was named to the tournament's All-Star Five and also the tournament Most Valuable Player. Averaging 21.6 points a game, he was also the leading scorer of the tournament.

Lessee... MVP at FIBA Under-19 Worlds. And he was 17 years, one month old at the time. He is now 18 years, five months old.

[CDu]

I was surprised by some of the really low percentile rankings that were showing up. I'm sure small ample size and such, but still.

I'm actually not all that surprised by it. Barrett has been really efficient in transition, but REALLY inefficient in the halfcourt. The reason is because he's struggled so much as an iso scorer so far.


We need Barrett to be aggressive. We don't need Barrett to have that insane usage rate.

I agree. There's a balancing act that needs to be achieved here. We don't want to run Williamson into the ground. He's already starting to face cramping, which isn't surprising given his massive frame and work rate. While we would benefit from him getting a few more looks, I don't want him taking 20+ either. Conversely, I don't want Barrett suddenly taking "only" 5-10. Ideally, they both are getting in the 13-15 FGA per game range. That would probably do wonders to improve Barrett's efficiency too, taking fewer of the "hero ball" style isos and getting more of his buckets in the flow of the offense.

The team will definitely need Barrett to create offense, because we only have four guys with the tools to consistently do that on the roster. He just needs to do a better job of reacting to what the defense gives him/the team, rather than trying to go through the entire defense to score at the rim.

I'm sure it's a tough transition for him. He's never been a good shooter, not even in high school. But he's been the best player by a mile on every team he's played for until now, and he's been better by a mile than every opponent he's faced until now. It's tough to transition to maybe not being the best player on his own team, and it is tough to transition to not being able to do (at least not nearly as well) what has worked for you your whole life. To have both of those things happen all at once has to be challenging.

I have faith that he and the team will figure out a better balance. I'm sure the staff has covered thoroughly the mistakes made late in the Gonzaga game. The key for Barrett has been, and will continue to be, adapting: adapting to better teammates; adapting to better opponents; adapting to better everything around him.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Good article. It's a good thing Barrett plays for Coach K, because I'm sure Coach K agrees with a lot in the article (even though Coach K is saying the opposite in public).

We need Barrett to be aggressive. We don't need Barrett to have that insane usage rate.

Jonathan Tjarks can be hit or miss, but this was off-the-wall double or even a line-drive home run in my view. He clearly did his homework, looking at the efficiency and usage rates of other one-and-done players from Duke's past. And he drew a line from playing for this Duke "superteam" to the current NBA model. The comparison to Dwyane Wade was interesting.

As is, front offices are trying to get a core group of 3-4 elite players together. If Barrett (and Zion and Cam and Tre) can show that they can play well in that setup while also demonstrating their own ability to shine, it's a golden opportunity. We've seen Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns struggle to be core members of a superteam despite being the #1 player in their respective draft classes. Markelle Fultz has been an absolute headcase and is in serious danger of busting. If Barrett can show improvements in his game, become more complimentary, his stock can go even higher. If you grade out R.J. similar to Nassir Little or Bol Bol or somebody, then you look at how R.J. plays with other elite players within a team. Did he make his teammates better? Little and Bol aren't doing that right now. Zion is. Cam is doing that, although not as a featured scorer/creator. If and when R.J.'s usage gets down to the high 20's, he and the team could be doing something really special.

[Troublemaker]

It should be noted that in the Indiana game, the first game post-Gonzaga, the usage margins became closer between RJ and Zion. 18 shots for RJ, 15 shots for Zion, 12 shots for Cam (in fewer minutes). RJ used 38% of possessions when he was in the game, Cam 36%, and Zion 30%. And Coach K noticeably gave Zion more post touches by having him slip ball screens and go into the post for wide open entries.

So, I think Duke is aware that the margins between players (particularly RJ and Zion) have to come down, and we are currently implementing ways to make that happen.

Will Zion eventually overtake RJ to become Duke's 1st option? Theoretically, he probably should, right? Given Zion's incredible efficiency.

But if the margins close to where the two of them are basically 1A and 1B, and when RJ improves his efficiency on the possessions he uses (which should come), Duke will have a dynamic offense.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

It should be noted that in the Indiana game, the first game post-Gonzaga, the usage margins became closer between RJ and Zion. 18 shots for RJ, 15 shots for Zion, 12 shots for Cam (in fewer minutes). RJ used 38% of possessions when he was in the game, Cam 36%, and Zion 30%. And Coach K noticeably gave Zion more post touches by having him slip ball screens and go into the post for wide open entries.

So, I think Duke is aware that the margins between players (particularly RJ and Zion) have to come down, and we are currently implementing ways to make that happen.


THIS ^^ - today I tried again, foolishly, to listen to Joe Ovaries and Adam Gall on 99.9 The Fraud - and Ovaries was going on and on about RJ's shots (in the ZAGS game) - as if he's cluelessly unaware that things changed radically in the IU game, and Coach K said as much. Sports talk radio is so awful around here now.

[luvdahops]

THIS ^^ - today I tried again, foolishly, to listen to Joe Ovaries and Adam Gall on 99.9 The Fraud - and Ovaries was going on and on about RJ's shots (in the ZAGS game) - as if he's cluelessly unaware that things changed radically in the IU game, and Coach K said as much. Sports talk radio is so awful around here now.

Is it good anywhere?

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Is it good anywhere?

Now? Im not sure. Everything has been ESPN-ized. Mostly pro oriented. Almost more pop culture than sports....Few take callers (which is mixed bag to be sure). But David Glenn and even the mediocre Adam and Joe used to be much better than they are now. Very very devolved.

[tteettimes]

THIS ^^ - today I tried again, foolishly, to listen to Joe Ovaries and Adam Gall on 99.9 The Fraud - and Ovaries was going on and on about RJ's shots (in the ZAGS game) - as if he's cluelessly unaware that things changed radically in the IU game, and Coach K said as much. Sports talk radio is so awful around here now.
^^^^^^what he said....there ain’t no gold in either ovary....there ain’t no glen far enough away either
I’m a homer but I ain’t got no radio show to shove down your throat
The road around here also has to much gravely 😈😈

[uh_no]

It should be noted that in the Indiana game, the first game post-Gonzaga, the usage margins became closer between RJ and Zion. 18 shots for RJ, 15 shots for Zion, 12 shots for Cam (in fewer minutes). RJ used 38% of possessions when he was in the game, Cam 36%, and Zion 30%. And Coach K noticeably gave Zion more post touches by having him slip ball screens and go into the post for wide open entries.

So, I think Duke is aware that the margins between players (particularly RJ and Zion) have to come down, and we are currently implementing ways to make that happen.

Will Zion eventually overtake RJ to become Duke's 1st option? Theoretically, he probably should, right? Given Zion's incredible efficiency.

But if the margins close to where the two of them are basically 1A and 1B, and when RJ improves his efficiency on the possessions he uses (which should come), Duke will have a dynamic offense.

spot on. I was very happy with duke's distribution. tre was a bit more assertive taking it to the hole when he thought. He's so much like his brother. Need to hope cam gets over whatever's stunting him....becuase having he and jack on the floor would give RJ a bit more space inside. Zion makes his own space.

[DoWorkDukie]

RJ has been inefficient in the halfcourt. My issue is his inability to kick out the ball after he drives. He gets tunnel vision, and doesn't have a variety game where he drives and looks, or kicks. If he crosses over, he's going to shoot.

The entire defense knows it, and it's caused his efficiency in the halfcourt to be very below average. Zion and Tre have proved to be more efficient scorers in the halfcourt.

Personally, i think we should encourage Tre to be more aggressive and run some more PnR with him. He's got a great floater game and is a willing kick out passer.

FWIW, I love RJ. His style of play reminds me of rivers, though he's a little less trigger happy from 3 and much more elite in transition. In transition, he's incredible.

[jv001]

spot on. I was very happy with duke's distribution. tre was a bit more assertive taking it to the hole when he thought. He's so much like his brother. Need to hope cam gets over whatever's stunting him...becuase having he and jack on the floor would give RJ a bit more space inside. Zion makes his own space.

I wonder if Cam is thinking too much and reacting too little. In high school it was not that way because he was better than most of the opposition and he's probably trying to find his place on this very talented team. I think the coaches will work with him and we'll see an improvement soon. GoDuke!

[HereBeforeCoachK]

^^^^^^what he said...there ain’t no gold in either ovary...there ain’t no glen far enough away either
I’m a homer but I ain’t got no radio show to shove down your throat
The road around here also has to much gravely 😈😈

Or perhaps they're all missing their Tudor......or their Suitor.......(pardon us please, those of you not in the RDU broadcast/newspaper market....)

[devildeac]

Or perhaps they're all missing their Tudor...or their Suitor....(pardon us please, those of you not in the RDU broadcast/newspaper market...)

"When the end comes, I know,
They'll say "Just a Giglio,"
As life goes on without you. (without me)"

[CDu]

THIS ^^ - today I tried again, foolishly, to listen to Joe Ovaries and Adam Gall on 99.9 The Fraud - and Ovaries was going on and on about RJ's shots (in the ZAGS game) - as if he's cluelessly unaware that things changed radically in the IU game, and Coach K said as much. Sports talk radio is so awful around here now.

Surely we can make these points without the elementary school level name-changing, no?

Also, Barrett took 18 FGA (most on the team) in 27 minutes on Tuesday, or 0.67 shots per minute. Against the Zags, he took 25 FGA in 39 minutes, or 0.64 shots per minute. I am not sure that constitutes a radical change.

[weezie]

Ewww, ovary talk. Barf.

You might think having them makes you a bit emotional but in actuality, I double down dare any of you men to take them for a spin.

Wussies!

[fuse]

Ewww, ovary talk. Barf.

You might think having them makes you a bit emotional but in actuality, I double down dare any of you men to take them for a spin.

Wussies!

While falsely attributed to Betty White, this brought to mind a truism disguised as comedy that is definitely nsfDBR.