Oh, here we go, clicking on an anti-RJ Barrett article from Chris Lambert, or so you thought.
Yes, I’ve been very critical of Barrett throughout the offseason about where he fits with this group after the addition of Kawhi Leonard. So much so that, in our communication channel for this site, I got the nickname Mr. Ant-RJ-extension. But my goal isn’t to make fun of RJ for essentially saying he didn’t have any specific focus areas of improvement this offseason or for shooting 33 percent from the field in the preseason opener—I’ll save that for my weekly Raptors podcast LOL.
My focus with Barrett today is how having him run with Toronto’s second unit throughout games could be the best way to maximize his skills. My issue with Barrett’s fit on this team all summer has been that I don’t trust his off-ball play enough to see him being a good fit next to Leonard on the wing.
I’m not saying bring him off the bench because that one is unrealistic and could potentially create unnecessary problems. What I am suggesting is having Barrett be the first sub out and bringing him back in when the majority of the second unit gets brought in, so he can play with the ball in his hands and thrive.
Barrett is built to lead the second unit
Barrett has always been at his best when the ball is in his hands, and he’s creating offense for himself or his teammates. That’s why the playoffs were such a massive success for him last season: with Brandon Ingram struggling and injured, he had the opportunity to drive the offense way more.
The issue is that teams that have Barrett as a primary creator for extended periods won’t have a super high ceiling because he just isn’t that caliber of player. Quite frankly, that’s why Toronto went and made a play for Leonard because he’s an on-ball player that is good enough to lead a team to a title. With him in town now and Scottie Barnes expected to take another step, Barrett won't have many opportunities to be heavily featured on the ball.
Where he can see heavy on-ball touches is by running with the Raptors’ second unit, a group that definitely could use a primary creator. Sure, Jamal Shead is a great playmaker and can really run an offense, and Collin Murray-Boyles has so much defensive talent that he will likely be a sixth starter this year. However, neither is a legit shot creator or someone you want taking a ton of shots at this point in their careers. Barrett, on the other hand, is perfect for that role.
Having Ja’Kobe Walter, Shead, or CMB sub in for him after the five-minute mark of the first quarter, then bringing him back at the end of the quarter to start the second, could be super beneficial. NBA lineups are all about balancing skill sets, touches, and talent. Barrett running parts of games with the second unit could better balance Toronto’s attack, maximize his tools on the ball, and give that unit the firepower it's missing.
I don't know for certain that this concept would work, but if Darko Rajakovic is looking for creative ways to maximize his roster, having RJ Barrett in this role is an experiment worth trying.
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