Alright, let’s talk about this RJ Barrett situation. I kept seeing “bust” thrown around online, you know, forums, social media, everywhere. Got me thinking. Was I just following the noise, or did I really have my own take? Decided I needed to actually dig in myself, not just repeat what others were yelling.
So, what I did was commit to watching Knicks games properly for a couple of weeks. Not just checking the score on my phone or catching highlights. I mean, sitting down, watching the flow, specifically focusing on Barrett. What’s he doing off the ball? How’s his decision-making under pressure? Is he making the right play, even if the shot doesn’t fall? It sounds simple, but man, it takes effort to watch like that, especially when you’re used to just following the ball or looking for dunks.
My Process Watching Him
I pulled up some older games too, trying to see the progression, if any. Made some notes, mentally at least.
- Looked at his body language after misses.
- Tried to see if he recognized mismatches.
- Watched how teammates reacted to him.
- Compared his game then to his game now.
Honestly, it was kinda frustrating sometimes. You see a flash of brilliance, a great drive, a nice pass. Then maybe a forced shot, a turnover, or looking lost on defense. It wasn’t clear-cut. And jumping online to talk about it? Forget it. Just shouting matches. People made up their minds ages ago, seemed like. Argued with a few folks, typed out long replies, deleted them. Pointless.
Got Me Thinking About Something Else…
This whole thing reminded me of something way back. When I first got into woodworking, my first big project was this bookshelf. I bought fancy wood, had this grand design in my head. Day one, I messed up a cut. Badly. Like, ruined a whole piece of expensive maple. My first thought was, “I suck at this, I should just quit, this whole woodworking thing is a bust for me.” I almost abandoned the whole project right there.
My neighbor, old guy who’d been doing it for years, saw me fuming. He just chuckled and said, “Son, you measure success board by board, not by the first mistake. See what you learned from that bad cut.” It stuck with me. I didn’t become a master carpenter overnight, but I finished the bookshelf. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine, and I learned a ton. Took time, took patience, took messing up.
Bringing It Back To Barrett
So, looking back at RJ after thinking about that old bookshelf… is he a “bust”? Man, I don’t know if I like that word for players still figuring things out. He wasn’t drafted to be a finished product on day one, right? Watching him closely, yeah, there are flaws. Sometimes maddening flaws. But you also see the tools, the flashes, the work ethic people talk about. He’s not what maybe some folks expected right away, kinda like my first woodworking attempt.
My takeaway after actually sitting down and watching, and thinking about my own jump-to-conclusions moments? It’s complicated. The “bust” label feels too easy, too final. I see a guy who’s still developing, maybe not on the superstar curve everyone demands instantly, but calling him a total failure? Feels wrong after putting in the time to actually watch the process, not just judge the immediate result. It’s easy to yell online; it’s harder to see the nuance, board by board, game by game. That’s where I landed after my little experiment.
