New York is a tough place to grow up. RJ Barrett did his growing up right in the middle of Madison Square Garden, under the brightest lights, carrying the weight of being the "Maple Mamba" and the third overall pick. For four and a half seasons, fans lived and died by the RJ Barrett Knicks stats, arguing over whether he was a future cornerstone or just an inefficient volume scorer.
Honestly, the truth is way more nuanced than a box score.
He wasn't a bust. He wasn't a superstar. He was a 19-year-old kid thrust into a rebuilding franchise that suddenly decided it wanted to win now. By the time he was traded to the Toronto Raptors in late 2023, he had left a massive footprint in the Knicks’ record books, even if his shooting percentages often left fans pulling their hair out.
The Raw Numbers: A Five-Season Overview
If you just look at the totals, Barrett’s productivity was actually historic for a Knick. He became the youngest player in franchise history to average 20 points per game in a season when he did it at age 21. Think about the legends who have walked through that tunnel—none of them hit that scoring mark that young.
Basically, RJ was a workhorse. Here is how his production broke down during his tenure in Manhattan:
- 2019-20 (Rookie): 14.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.6 APG (40.2% FG)
- 2020-21 (The Leap): 17.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.0 APG (40.1% 3PT)
- 2021-22 (Volume Year): 20.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.0 APG (40.8% FG)
- 2022-23 (The Grind): 19.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.8 APG (43.4% FG)
- 2023-24 (The Final Stretch): 18.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.4 APG (42.3% FG through 26 games)
He finished his Knicks career with 297 total games. That's a lot of basketball. He scored over 5,000 points in a Knicks jersey before his 24th birthday. Only a handful of players in NBA history have reached those counting stats—points, rebounds, and assists—at such a young age. We’re talking names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Luka Doncic.
Does that mean he’s as good as them? No. Not even close. But it shows he was on the floor, he was durable, and he was productive.
The Shooting Efficiency Struggle
You can't talk about RJ Barrett Knicks stats without talking about the "clank" factor. The biggest knock on RJ was always his efficiency. Or lack thereof.
In his second season, he shot a blistering 40.1% from three-point range. Everyone thought he had figured it out. Fans were ready to crown him. But that number turned out to be an outlier. He plummeted to 34.2% the following year and then a dismal 31% in 2022-23.
The problem wasn't just the misses. It was the "how." RJ often struggled with finishing at the rim despite his strength. He’d drive into three defenders, lose his handle, or miss a contested layup. According to advanced tracking, his effective field goal percentage (eFG%) with the Knicks was consistently below 50%. In today's NBA, that's really tough to stomach for a primary option.
Playoff RJ: A Different Animal?
One thing New Yorkers will always respect is someone who doesn't shrink when the postseason starts.
Barrett’s 2021 playoff debut against Atlanta was... rough. He averaged 14.4 points on 38.8% shooting. The stage looked a little too big. But 2023 was a different story.
During the Knicks' run to the second round in 2023, Barrett was arguably more consistent than Julius Randle. He stepped up when Jalen Brunson needed a wingman. He averaged 19.3 points across 11 games. He shot 43.3% from the field—not world-beating, but significantly better than his previous playoff exit.
He had a massive Game 4 against Cleveland where he dropped 26 points and essentially put the series on ice. That’s the version of RJ fans wanted every night. A guy who used his 214-pound frame to bully smaller guards and actually made his free throws. Speaking of free throws, he was a 61% shooter as a rookie. By the time he left, he was hitting them at an 83% clip. That’s real development.
Why the Context Matters
Stats don't live in a vacuum. RJ was drafted to a team coached by David Fizdale (yikes) and then spent the rest of his time under Tom Thibodeau.
Thibs' system is demanding. It’s slow-paced. It relies heavily on isolation and high-usage stars like Randle and Brunson. Barrett often found himself standing in the corner waiting for a kick-out pass that didn't come, or forced to create a shot with four seconds left on the shot clock.
When he was traded to Toronto, his efficiency skyrocketed almost instantly. He went from a 42% shooter in New York to a 55% shooter in his first 32 games with the Raptors. Why? Because he was playing in a transition-heavy system with more ball movement.
In New York, he was a square peg being hammered into a round hole. He was asked to be a "3-and-D" wing when his natural instinct is to be a downhill, slashing playmaker. The RJ Barrett Knicks stats tell the story of a player trying to be what the team needed rather than what he actually was.
The "Maple Mamba" Legacy
So, how do we sum up the Barrett era?
He was a guy who never complained. He never missed games with "load management" unless he was actually hurt. He stayed out of the tabloids. He took the criticism on the chin and just kept driving to his left.
- Durability: He played 70+ games in three of his four full seasons.
- Scoring: He’s one of the top young scorers in franchise history.
- The Trade: Ultimately, his stats made him a valuable enough asset to land the Knicks OG Anunoby—the piece they needed to become a true contender.
What to Keep an Eye On
If you're still tracking RJ's progress post-Knicks, pay attention to his assist percentage and rim finishing. In New York, he averaged about 2.8 assists. In Toronto, that jumped to over 4.0.
The Knicks version of RJ was a "finisher" who couldn't always finish. The Raptors version is a "connector" who uses his gravity to find teammates. It turns out, those "meh" stats in New York were a baseline, not a ceiling.
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For Knicks fans, looking back at his numbers should bring a sense of "it was fine while it lasted." He helped bridge the gap from the "LOL Knicks" era to the competitive team we see now. He wasn't the savior, but he was the sturdy bridge that got them across the river.
If you’re analyzing his impact for a fantasy league or just a deep-dive debate, stop looking at the 3-point percentage as the end-all-be-all. Instead, look at his usage rate vs. true shooting. When RJ's usage was moderate (around 23-25%), he was a winning player. When the Knicks forced him to be a 30% usage guy, the efficiency cratered.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
Check out the NBA's official tracking data for "seconds per touch." You'll notice that Barrett's most efficient stretches in New York came when he made decisions in under two seconds. Whenever he started over-dribbling, his production dipped. Applying that "quick decision" filter to his Toronto games shows why he's finally blossoming into the player the Knicks hoped he'd be.
The stats weren't lying; we were just reading them without the right context.