Team-first mentality of RJ Barrett, Knicks paying off on road trip
Knicks guard RJ Barrett, left, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Denver. Credit: David Zalubowski
SAN FRANCISCO — RJ Barrett was still coughing and struggling through an illness, and his play reflected it through the first two stops on the Knicks’ five-game road trip. But he insisted on trying to help the team however he could.
Even if the numbers weren’t showing much of a contribution, he believed it was best to be out there on the court. And that sort of team-oriented feeling, which could have originated during Sunday night’s players-only dinner, may have contributed to a reversal of the struggles the team endured before the trip.
The dinner, which even coach Tom Thibodeau dismissed with the reality that change had to come through actions, not words, may have served as a starting point.
After allowing 145 points in a 10-point loss to Oklahoma City at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, the Knicks earned victories Tuesday night in Utah and Wednesday night in Denver.
“It’s the faith we have in each other,” Barrett said. “This is what we’ve got. Everybody is locked in, everybody is together. You see many different people play well. That’s what a team is really about, collectively, all of us. Especially some of the tough plays guys made the last game, that’s how you win.”
And now, tied together on the road, they may have found their form.
“For sure, you definitely get closer during a road trip,” Barrett said. “You see everybody all day every day. Lot of fun, a lot of laughs. Just staying together. Stuff like [the dinner], it helps. You’ve seen it. For the team, for everybody, staying on the same page. It’s huge.
“Like I said, we’re all we got. We just ride with that. Try to figure it out and get some wins. Compete. Like I said, all due respect to everyone out there, but we’re the only ones that are going out there doing it. So we got to trust each other.”
That trust applies to his own play, too.
Barrett spent Tuesday and Wednesday night firing away confidently, but very few of his shots were successful.
He was 0-for-5 from three-point range and 5-for-18 overall in Utah. He followed that performance by going 0-for-9 from outside the arc and 4-for-18 overall in Denver.
Entering Friday night’s contest against Golden State, Barrett had misfired on 16 consecutive three-point attempts. After working through Friday morning’s shootaround, still dealing with the effects of the illness, he insisted he’s not backing down.
“No, no,” he said when asked if he takes it personally when opponents give him the shot. “It’s an easy bucket in my opinion, so I’d rather them do that.”
It hasn’t been easy of late, but he’s endured stretches like this in the past.
Two seasons ago, he went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc on opening night and then missed 21 consecutive three-pointers. He recovered to shoot 40.1% for the season from three-point range. He dipped to 34.2% last season and has struggled through a dismal 25.6% through the first 15 games this season.
But as indicated by the nine attempts Wednesday, he believes that the shots will fall.
“I don’t care about it,” he said of the numbers. “I don’t want to say I don’t care about it. Sometimes in basketball it happens. No one is perfect. Just continue to get in the gym, you know, try to groove your shot. That’s all you can really do.
“I think being consistent is the best way to go about it. Good or bad, just stay on the straight line.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
