NBA Draft 2019: Best and worst fits for all potential lottery picks

2. RJ Barrett, 6-7 G/F, Duke

BEST: Atlanta Hawks

RJ Barrett is far and away the most divisive draft prospect in this year’s crop of amateur talent. Duke’s 6-7 power wing and on-ball initiator constantly drew ire from onlookers for alleged “ball-hogging,” offensive tunnel vision and inefficient shooting, ultimately earning (justly or unjustly) the harsh label of being “selfish.” This isn’t exactly fair to the Canada native. Still only 18, Barrett has a ways to go as a player, yet already possesses immense talent that manifested itself on the court on a regular basis, hence why his usage rate and production (22.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4.3 APG) was notable for a Duke freshman. He’s an effective athlete in transition, a physical driver who absorbs contact and gets to the charity stripe, a fearless competitor, and a promising ball-handler and passer at his size.

Efficiency and decision-making are two areas needing the most nurturing, as he has a troublesome habit of falling into spells where he distrusts the abilities of his teammates and tries to push the issue on offense. Landing in a spot where he could develop more as a facilitator and less as a forceful scorer could be the ideal scenario for him, which is why Atlanta figures to be a strong fit for his talents. Atlanta, as mentioned throughout this post, is a team overflowing with individual talent and a burgeoning organizational culture that seems to be beneficial for the youth that the front office brings in.

Allowing Barrett to play next to floor spacers would open up the driving and cutting lanes he relies on so often to score; a fast tempo would allow him to get out and run, with plenty of talented teammates running alongside him; and playing next to a cast full of exceptional and selfless passers (specifically Trae Young and even Kevin Huerter) should rub off on the young wing in a positive way. Some players manage to reach their full potential regardless of the situation that they land in, but Barrett’s progression as a player seems to be heavily linked to wherever he ends up on draft night, as he needs to go to a team that will do what it can to empower him while simultaneously teaching him to actively remove me-first tendencies from his game for the sake of playing an efficient style of winning basketball. Atlanta jumps out as just the place to do that for him…

WORST: New York Knicks

…and New York jumps out as just the place that would do the exact opposite for Barrett’s evolution as a player and teammate. New York wants a star and outside of Zion Williamson, Barrett may just be the only other player from the 2019 draft class that has the clearest route to reaching that upside due to physical traits and natural skills. However, the Knicks pose as an environment that wouldn’t use a patient approach to the maturation of Barrett’s game. Rather, New York’s front office and coaching staff would likely place the load of “franchise cornerstone” onto Barrett’s shoulders from Day 1, which would essentially give him free rein and total control over the offense — which, as seen at Duke, can be quite problematic.

Playing as the team’s top option while under immense pressure can lead to the development of bad habits, especially if the team isn’t rounded out with veterans to lead the way. Empowering rookies is necessary for their maturation and growth as a player, but too much all at once can prove to be harmful in the long-run. Don’t just give any rookie the keys to the offense — they need to earn it first, and I’m not so sure that would be the case in New York.

And from a pure roster standpoint, attempting to build a cohesive offense around several young players who currently prefer to have the ball in their hands to score (Dennis Smith Jr., Kevin Knox, Barrett) is a pretty tough job for any head coach. Winning over star free agents could benefit young players like Barrett, since he’d be forced into a complementary role and would need to learn how to play winning basketball on a contending team, but banking on huge unknowns isn’t an ideal draft strategy, or an ideal team building strategy in general.