R.J. Barrett, New York Knicks

It should not come as a surprise to see R.J. Barrett on this list because he is arguably the most talented player on this year’s Knicks roster and the success he saw in his rookie season, should have the ball in his hands a lot this upcoming season. New head coach Tom Thibodeau has always been a coach that depends on the play from his guards and should utilize Barrett much like he did with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler in Chicago. 

R.J. Barrett can play with or without the ball in his hands and will likely be one of the primary ball-handlers for the Knicks during the 2020-21 season. Even though the Knicks have a slew of guards on their roster, R.J. Barrett will not be the one sacrificing nor competing for minutes on the court. 

After being drafted 3rd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Barrett came into a Knicks organization that was in shambles and made the most of his rookie season. He averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and shot 40.2% from the floor, which is not bad given the amount of shots he took per game. 

One of the biggest surprises of last season was that Barrett was not named to either of the All-Rookie teams and was the first rookie left off one of these teams. Granted last year was a very talented rookie class in terms of production, but there is no way that Terence Davis on the Raptors deserved to be on the All-Rookie Second-Team more than R.J. Barrett did. 

Now this year, playing with a chip on his shoulder, R.J. Barrett has a chance to not only win the Most Improved Player Award, but inch the Knicks closer to making the playoffs, something they have not done in seven straight seasons. This season for the Knicks is not necessarily about making the playoffs, but being right in the thick of things near the end of the season and getting vital experience for their young core.

Obi Toppin and R.J. Barrett are the future of the Knicks organization and with not much talent around them, should each have great seasons. Barrett will likely step up and be the leader of the 2020-21 New York Knicks and it should come as no surprise to anyone if he averages more than 20 points per game this season. He is too talented of a player not to have the ball in his hands and with Tom Thibodeau calling the shots, the future is extremely bright for R.J. Barrett.