The New York Knicks have now been without RJ Barrett since December 27.
In their game against the Dallas Mavericks that day, Barrett popped his finger out of place and required six stitches.
This has made his recovery slow, as he has needed to take extra time and precaution to fully recover.
However, it now appears that he is prepping for a return soon after being upgraded to questionable for the Knicks’ Wednesday night game against the Indiana Pacers.
Good morning world. RJ Barrett most likely plays basketball today 🥲 pic.twitter.com/23mMaZVRuO
— Shaun From TKW (@iHateShaun) January 11, 2023
It can’t happen soon enough, as the Knicks need their third-best scorer to return sooner rather than later.
Without Barrett, the team has had a noticeable absence in their lineup.
While the stellar play of Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson has helped ease that gap, Barrett would provide an extra option to take that stress off of those two.
That way, when Randle may not necessarily have his best game like what happened against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night, the Knicks still have another scoring option available.
Barrett’s return will also help deepen the Knicks.
One of the team’s biggest weaknesses is its bench.
With just a handful of strong contributors, the Knicks can’t afford to shorten their rotation.
Barrett’s injury forces someone like Immanuel Quickley, who has been the team’s best bench scorer, to start.
While he filled in nicely against the Bucks, it just means that there is less production for the team during rotation swaps.
RJ Barrett doing some form shooting with the assistance of Associate HC Johnnie Bryant: pic.twitter.com/FUa4vvClPZ
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) January 10, 2023
This makes Barrett so important to the Knicks, as his return helps free up their rotation and get players back into their normal roles.
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