3 Ball...GOT IT
#CediSZN
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Mostly agree with this. I should clarify that when I say he has, e.g., a 50/50 chance of becoming an efficient inside-the-arc bucket getter at the NBA level, that's a compliment. Most prospects are too behind-the-curve either in skills or athleticism or both to have any potential to break down NBA defenses in the halfcourt. RJ has a lot of potential to do that, but his off-the-dribble game still has enough holes that it's not a sure thing.
The one thing that I do think is a sure thing for him is his passing ability. There are a lot of guys who're dangerous enough scorers to draw double teams and/or make the defense collapse on drives, but relatively few of them have the quick decision making ability to find the open man when that happens. I think RJ has that going for him and that's a big part of why he has the potential to be a real star, not just a run-of-the-mill 15-20 ppg scorer like, e.g., Langford.
Maybe it’s PTSD from watching Sexton, but I’m not sold on the passing yet. He has the vision (the most important aspect of being a playmaker probably imo), but the mentality really needs to change from what it was at Duke. I’d bet on it happening eventually, but definitely could also see him never changing.
The one MAJOR area that I think is overlooked with Barrett in the halfcourt that he didn’t hardly do at Duke: pindowns. I don’t see how anyone will stop him coming off pindowns to his left hand. It’s another area where you’d see flashes. You set a down screen for him at the elbow and he can get to the rim in one dribble coming off of it. If the Cavs draft him, I really hope they run those sorts of sets for him. His floater was yet another thing that was just okay, but if he improves it some he will be tough to stop in those situations.