(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
For years, the New York Knicks held onto the hope that RJ Barrett would turn the corner and become a franchise player.
He was an exciting prospect coming out of high school and in college, and he did have some interesting traits that made people think he could become a star.
The years went by, and that never happened, up to the point where they realized he wasn’t what they needed and traded him to the Toronto Raptors.
Now that he’s gone, former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony had the freedom to speak his mind on him.
Anthony stated that Barrett is a “bland” player.
And while he didn’t mean that to sound like a shot, he did admit that he doesn’t think of him as an exciting player to watch (via “7PM in Brooklyn” and Legion Hoops).
Carmelo Anthony on RJ Barrett:
“He’s just a bland player bro. That’s not a shot. That’s not disrespect… It’s just like, he’s good, he get it done sometimes, but he’s not an exciting player. You don’t know if he got 4 or 26.”
(via @7PMinBrooklyn) pic.twitter.com/yrwrTahX2Q
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 12, 2024
Barrett is a solid player, but he’s not a star, and chances are he’ll never be one.
That’s not a shot at him by any means, as there are just a handful of stars and players who stand out in the National Basketball Association.
Also, it’s not like he’s reached his ceiling already, but he just wasn’t what Tom Thibodeau’s team needed at the moment; they needed a wing-stopper and low-usage offensive player who didn’t need the ball in his hands to be efficient and make an impact.
Who knows?
Maybe he’ll take notice of Melo’s words and use it as motivation to prove him wrong, but he’ll have some hard work to do.
The post Carmelo Anthony Says Former Knicks Player Is ‘Bland’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.