NBA Rumors: New York Knicks concerned with RJ Barrett's workload because of teammate's defensive deficiencies

Recent rumors have suggested that the New York Knicks face some concerns with RJ Barrett's offensive contributions. Heavy.com's Steve Bulpett revealed more on the matter as a source suggested that this was due to Jalen Brunson's defensive deficiencies.

The New York Knicks have started their season in an impressive manner. With a 3-1 record, the Knicks are currently ranked third in the east.

This is certainly an impressive sight for fans in New York as new arrival Jalen Brunson has done wonders to improve the team's stature early in the season. With an impressive performance against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, the Knicks are already reaping the rewards of their huge offseason signing.

While Brunson's output has been a welcome sight, the Knicks have seen some internal concerns surface pertaining to RJ Barrett's form as of late.

Barrett was a key offseason signing. While he was an essential element in trade talks for Donovan Mitchell, the Knicks opted to offer the rising star a four-year extension to focus on his development.

Considering Barrett's emergence as a star-caliber player last season, New York had high expectations of the 22-year old heading into this season. Barrett, however, has had a bit of a slow start.

While he has scored on a consistent basis, RJ Barrett hasn't produced impressive numbers the way he was expected to. However, some sources suggest that this may not be his fault.

Heavy.com's Steve Bulpett highlighted the claims of a source who suggested that RJ Barrett's reduced performance may be a consequence of Jalen Brunson's poor defensive output. He wrote:

“'His offense is suffering because he has to chase people around so much at the other end to make up for (Jalen) Brunson’s defensive deficiencies,' said a source.

“It’ll be interesting to see how that gets handled going forward. That’s up to the coaches to decide how they want to work around that — you know, more help, switching the right way, how to bring the double-teams. But it can all change with matchups."

This claim could be considered viable to some degree. While Brunson is a gifted offensive player, he hasn't been the most effective defender over the course of his career. Meanwhile, Barrett has shown immense potential to guard multiple positions on the perimeter.

While Barrett's offensive performance has taken a hit, he has developed into a rather potent wing defender. However, this could just as easily lead to some misconceptions regarding Barrett's ability as a contributing player.

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The New York Knicks will see RJ Barrett settle into the groove

RJ Barrett celebrates a play

The New York Knicks have done a solid job of starting the season on a high note. After suffering an OT loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on opening night, the Knicks have built up some steam with three wins.

This is largely attributed to the combined contributions of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. However, should the Knicks hope to keep their momentum up, they will need more output from RJ Barrett.

To make up for his effort on the defensive end, New York may be best served by getting Barrett more open looks to settle into a groove first. Better shot selection could result in lesser energy consumed.

Barrett, however, is known to start off slow. While there will be a burst of impressive outings early on, RJ Barrett will only round out into form gradually. This could be something New York has forecasted for already.

With immense potential to shine, Barrett could be a pivotal figure in New York's schemes for years to come.