At halftime, it looked like Barrett had a good shot at being the first Knick player score 50 in a game since Carmelo Anthony. Barrett returned to action in a fury, racking up 30 points in the first half. 

Although both Barrett fell short of the coveted 50 burger, his 46-point performance could be a coming out game as he takes the next step. 

The Knicks lost Friday 115-110 versus the Heat. Now sitting at 25-35, nothing is more important for the Knicks the next 22 games than Barrett. So Knick fans should feel okay about the game last night.

Barrett muscled his way to the rim, earning 22 free throws, which is 9 more attempts than his previous personal best. He also was hot from three, shooting 6-for-11 (he hit all six in the first half). The half ended with an exclamation point, with the Garden crowd starting to chant R-J Bar-rett, he nailed a step back from 26 feet off a defensive switch. 

The shot chart for Barrett was an ideal modern NBA shot chart. All of his shots were either three pointers or in the paint. A lot of the threes were open looks, but he was able to knock them down with confidence. His three-point percentage has gone down this year to 36%, after shooting 40% last year. Despite the dip, he has come far with his shot from his rookie year. 

Fellow 2019 draftee Tyler Herro also had a big game with 25 points off the bench. Ja Morant is in pole position to be the best player from the draft, followed by Zion, who could get back to first health and happiness permitting. Herro—who is frontrunner for 6th man of the year— and Barrett are vying to be considered the third best player of the draft class. Darius Garland, who was taken fifth, is also in the conversation with a sensational season earning him an all-star selection. Between Herro and Barrett, Herro is in ahead by most measures this season, but Barrett’s upside could make it a close raise between the two former lottery picks. 

Going forward, Barrett needs to continue to use his strength and length to get into the lane and improve at finishing at the rim. His percentage on two-point shot attempts has dipped this year to 63%.

He is found close to the bottom part of the list for percentages of shots less than five feet (53.3%) and shot five to nine feet (30.6). If he is able to solve his touch on close shots to the median he could be a premiere scorer in the league.

 “He’s definitely going to be playing in this league for a long time,” Jimmy Butler told reporters after the game.  “He’s going to be the face of the Knicks.”

Barrett is arguably already the face of the Knicks. He was the 14th best-selling jersey during the first half of this season. But if he finishes the season with this kind of dynamic game, there will be no doubt.  

Header Photo Courtesy of Associated Press