MIAMI — To say the Knicks are a shocking success may be a smidge strong, but RJ Barrett could’ve used Friday’s opportunity to at least say, ‘I told you so.’
Instead, Barrett, who declared in September that the Knicks would “shock the world,” took the cautious approach.
“We haven’t done anything,” Barrett said before Friday night’s game against the Heat. “We have 18 games left.”
The Knicks were projected for the play-in tournament but entered Friday an impressive 10 games over .500 and fifth in the East. Another two victories and they’d clear the preseason over-under betting win total of 38.5.
“We always have low expectations over here [from other people],” Barrett said. “Just working hard is what it is. We always believe — I’ve always believed. I said it at the beginning of the year.”
Much of the credit is thrown toward Jalen Brunson, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month and the franchise’s best point guard in decades. Against expectations, the Knicks now have a better record than the team (the Mavericks) that Brunson ditched in free agency. Brunson is also New York’s best hope for playoff success as the only player in the rotation with more than five postseason games in his career. Last season he led Dallas to the conference finals.
“I watched him in the playoffs, too,” Barrett said. “You know he’s nice.”
Still, from Barrett’s perspective, success hasn’t gone according to plan personally. Considered an organizational pillar after signing the $106 million extension, the 22-year-old wing has been benched lately in fourth quarters.
And since Tom Thibodeau found his version of a Death Lineup, Barrett seems fine that it doesn’t include him.
As long as they’re winning.
“It’s also a thing where you have to put your pride aside,” Barrett said when asked about sacrificing for the team. “What’s better than winning? If you win you get to go to the playoffs and then everybody eats off that. It’s not everybody that has the best numbers, the best this, the best that. People get into the All-Star games, get big contracts by being a winner. Being a good team guy.”
As was evident for a couple of weeks, Thibodeau is running with the following combination to close games: Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, Josh Hart, Julius Randle and either Isiah Hartenstein or Mitchell Robinson at center.
Those groups had been highly effective heading into Friday night’s game, outscoring opponents by 46 points in 77 minutes.
Barrett was averaging just 5.3 minutes in fourth quarters since the team acquired Hart.
“I just play basketball,” Barrett shrugged. “We’re winning so I just play basketball.”
The key word is ‘winning.’ Issues tend to work themselves out under those circumstances. And bold preseason predictions can be viewed as prophetic.
