RJ Barrett could emulate the career of OKC Thunder superstar
Awards and Honors:
All awards for the 2018-19 season. Barrett was on several lists as a finalist, here is a sampling of the awards he earned the full list can be found here.
- ACC All-Freshman
- All-ACC – 1st Team
- AP Preseason All-American
- The Jerry West Award
- Consensus All-America – 1st Team
- All-ACC Tournament – 1st Team
- NCAA Tournament All-Region
Pro Comparison:
Kevin O’Connor: Jalen Rose, alpha Andrew Wiggins, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay
For my money, RJ has a shot at growing into a Paul George-like player in his pro career. He already exudes many of the qualities PG brought into the pros. His absentee defense at times is something he should be able to overcome with work ethic and solid coaching. One look at his body and his ability to move adds fuel to this argument.
| Season | School | G | MP | FGA | FG% | 2PA | 2P% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | Fresno State | 34 | 34.6 | 10.4 | .470 | 6.2 | .486 | 4.1 | .447 | 3.9 | .697 | 4.4 | 6.2 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 14.3 |
| 2009-10 | Fresno State | 29 | 33.2 | 12.5 | .424 | 6.8 | .485 | 5.8 | .353 | 4.6 | .909 | 5.3 | 7.2 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 16.8 |
| Career | Fresno State | 63 | 33.9 | 11.4 | .447 | 6.5 | .485 | 4.9 | .396 | 4.2 | .803 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 15.5 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/10/2019.
If we isolate on George’s first season in the NCAA and compare it to Barrett’s lone season there are comparable stat comparisons.
| Season | G | MP | FGA | FG% | 2PA | 2P% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 38 | 35.3 | 18.5 | .454 | 12.2 | .529 | 6.2 | .308 | 5.9 | .665 | 6.0 | 7.6 | 4.3 | 0.9 | 22.6 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/10/2019.
Certainly, PG was a much better 3-point shooter, but again at 19 RJ can put in the work to expand his game. And, it’s important to note RJ comes from the Duke system whereas PG played at Fresno State which offered him easier opponents and game in which to build his resume. Notably, RJ achieved higher assist and rebound tallies which also speaks to his burgeoning talent.