Duke Basketball: 4 reasons why RJ Barrett will win 2019 National Player of the Year
By Brian Rauf
2) Underrated all-around game
When Reddish or Williamson get hot and take over lead scoring duties, Barrett has a number of other ways to affect the game.
Barrett’s rebounding – perhaps his most underrated skill – is going to pay dividends for a Duke team that will be forced to play small ball a majority of the time. He averaged nearly 11 per game on the Nike EYBL circuit in 2017 and 8.5 per game for Montverde last season – including 10 per game at the GEICO Nationals.
He’s also a great and willing playmaker with the ball in his hands as he averaged 4.5 assists per game as a senior. That ability was also on full display earlier this month when he recorded 10 assists in Duke’s victory over McGill.
During that trip, Barrett said he has improved a lot in that area:
"“Coming to Duke really taught me a lot about team success. When my teammates score, I’m very happy for them. If I throw a lob to Zion (Williamson), that’s the most fun time of the game. I really like to see for everyone do well and be successful.”"
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski is going to heavily utilize both of those skills. Barrett will have to hold his own on the glass in Duke’s small lineups, something he has proven he can do. He’ll also be tasked with running the point for some stretches as the Blue Devils have no real point guard depth behind fellow freshman Tre Jones.
Excelling in both of those areas will only enhance Barrett’s importance to the team and boost his Player of the Year stock.