RJ Barrett Breaks Barriers: First to Achieve Historic NBA Record

The New York Knicks have become a really good young and developing team in recent years. With the massive media market that is New York, the Knicks are a desirable destination for many notable star players. However, they have elected not to go down the route of making moves for massive star players and instead have focused on developing and improving their core players.

This decision from the Knicks seems to be working out well for them, as former Duke guard RJ Barrett is having a tremendous start to the season and has become the first player to achieve an impressive new feat.

Star Rumors

The Knicks have been involved in trade rumors for several big-name players over the last few years. With disgruntled superstars asking for trades almost every year, the Knicks have always been one potential destination. More recent examples of this include players such as Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell, which, according to reports, fell through due to the Knicks' unwillingness to part with young players such as RJ Barrett.


Additionally, they have also been linked to signing superstars such as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency, but for whatever reason, those deals also fell through. The Knicks instead have improved solely on their ability to develop players within their roster and by bringing in players who fit their system of play.

Knicks Development

The Knicks' recent emergence into the playoffs has been an interesting rebuild. After many years of struggling, it looks like they have finally found their stride and a real team identity for the first time this millennium. Their hardworking and gritty style of play has been embodied by the players they have brought in, as players like Brunson and Randle were undervalued around the league, and the Knicks have given them opportunities to showcase their talents and have turned them into stars.

Bringing in highly driven players like this has also brought a mentality that has helped develop their rookies, as proven by the gradual rise of former 3rd overall pick RJ Barrett.

Barrett's Historical Feat

Now playing his fifth season in New York, many people forget that Barrett is still only 23 and has lots of time to develop into a superstar. He has shown many glimpses of his full potential throughout his career, but his start to this season has many people wondering if it's finally time for Barrett's breakout year.

RJ Barrett this season:

22.6 PPG
3.4 RPG
3.1 APG
49% FG
50% 3PT
85% FT
62% TS pic.twitter.com/45Yjyrw5fC— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 12, 2023

His offensive talents look to be at an all-time high as he's averaging a career-high so far. Although it's just 7 games into the season, he has already broken a new NBA record with a feat that has never been accomplished before.

RJ has become the first and only player to be 7 games into a season while averaging 22 points, shooting over 50% from 3-point range, and also having a +/- of at least 70.

RJ Barrett is the FIRST player in NBA History with the following numbers in the first 7 games of a NBA Season:

• At Least 22 Points Per Game
• At Least 50% 3P Percentage (min. 40 3PA)
• At Least a +70 +/-

He's 23. pic.twitter.com/srKKmhN7Wx— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) November 12, 2023

This incredible feat showcases how impressive he has been as a scorer this season and how valuable he is to the overall team success of the Knicks. After a second-round exit from last season's playoffs, the Knicks appear to be only one or two steps away from being a legitimate title contender, and a breakout season from Barrett may be one of the steps we see this year.



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