RJ Barrett was the third-overall decide within the 2019 NBA Draft. His scoring common rose every season to a good 20.0 factors per sport in 2021-22. He signed a four-year contract extension price $107 million this previous summer time.
However coming into his fourth NBA marketing campaign, Barrett nonetheless doesn’t imagine he or the Knicks get a variety of respect across the league, and he supplied a concept why earlier than their 117-96 preseason win Tuesday evening over the Pistons.
“Moreover the followers, which we do have a variety of followers, everyone else actually doesn’t like us,” Barrett stated earlier than scoring a team-high 21 factors in 23 minutes. “I imply, I don’t know. … It’s bizarre.
“I’ve gotten respect, however on the similar time, there’s additionally a variety of disrespect. However that’s effective. All the blokes that they wish to put in entrance of me or no matter, I’m of their heads, so it doesn’t actually matter.”
Within the latter a part of that reply, Barrett was responding to a query about not being included on varied lists within the annual NBA common managers survey, which was launched earlier within the day, equivalent to these projected to be the league’s breakout participant this season.
Barrett additionally once more pointed to his long-standing grudge over not being named an All-Rookie first-team or second-team choice following his first season with the Knicks in 2019-20.
“I wasn’t on an All-Rookie crew and look the place I ended up,” Barrett stated. “The place are a few of these guys, you understand what I imply?”
The primary crew that season featured Memphis famous person Ja Morant and Barrett’s former Duke teammate, Zion Williamson, together with Brandon Clarke, Kendrick Nunn and Eric Paschall. The second crew was Tyler Herro, Terence Davis II, Coby White, P.J. Washington and Rui Hachimura.
Barrett’s four-year contract extension could be price as much as $120 million, together with incentives, however Herro re-signed with Miami for $130 million assured over the identical span. All-Star guard Darius Garland additionally re-upped for 5 years and $193 million with the Cavaliers.
“All people thinks they’re price greater than they obtained. That’s most likely actually each individual. I’m grateful, and I used to be taught to not watch different folks’s pockets,” stated Barrett, who would’ve been eligible for an even bigger deal if he had waited till subsequent summer time. “My thought was I needed to get a deal executed, as a result of like I’ve at all times stated, I at all times needed to be right here. So I used to be making an attempt to lock it in.”
Quentin Grimes (foot), Jericho Sims (groin) and DaQuan Jefferies (concussion protocol) had been out for the Knicks.
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