Richard Jefferson Is Not So Sure About RJ Barrett

Richard Jefferson had a long and rewarding NBA career, winning a ring in 2016 with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. So he has a lot of knowledge of the game.

So is he right when he says that RJ Barrett is not good enough to draw star players to the New York Knicks.

Is his take on the former Duke star right?

Well yes and no .

As Jefferson notes, Barrett could continue to improve and might become an elite player, he’s not there yet.

What he misses though is that Barrett is more than just the cornerstone for the Knicks. He’s building a culture that New York has lacked for a very long time.

No matter where he goes, or whoever comes to New York, is going to benefit from that.

For supporting evidence, just look to Brooklyn, where the team tried to purchase shortcuts to a title that has blown up in their faces.

Barrett may not be an elite athlete but we’ve seen that before - Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Luka Doncic come to mind - but New York is taking on his identity. That’s gong to lead to very good things.