Cavaliers: Top Rookie of the Year competitors for Darius Garland

RJ Barrett

If it wasn’t for his teammate (Williamson), RJ Barrett would have been talked about as the best player in college basketball last season. He had an incredible season for the Duke Blue Devils.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

In his lone season, Barrett posted averages of 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He also had an impressive PER of 23.3 (all per Sports Reference).

Barrett did have one glaring weakness, and that was a consistent jump-shot. He only shot 30.8 percent from three (Sports Reference).

He will also need to improve on shot selection. Despite the poor shooting percentage from deep, Barrett still hoisted 6.2 three-point attempts per game.

While the New York Knicks struck out on their main free-agent targets in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, they still had a solid free-agency period.

The Knicks added Julius Randle, who had a fantastic season last year and should form a solid 1-2 punch with Barrett. Randle had a breakout season last season as he averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, per Basketball Reference.

While the Knicks also signed Elfrid Payton, and employe Dennis Smith Jr., Barrett should still shoulder most of the playmaking load.

Barrett has a chance to put up a nice statistical season on a Knicks team that is actually pretty solid. They could be fighting for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this season.

If Barrett is a big reason for that, he could jump to the top of the ROY ladder.