Bad Loss for the Knicks in Utah

Final Score: Knicks 113 - Jazz 117
Record: 13-10

Heading into Wednesday night, the Knicks had won the games they were supposed to win this season. It's a big reason they entered the evening four games above .500. They've banked victories by beating bad clubs.

And with a hellish gauntlet of a schedule staring them down over the next three weeks, New York badly needed to leave Utah with a victory against a Jazz squad that had sunk nine games below .500.

However, the Knicks got pounded on the glass, gave up too many three-pointers, and missed ten free throws… all leading to a dispiriting four-point loss.

Before we dish out blame, let's first credit Julius Randle for a terrific all-around performance. He kept New York within striking distance over the first three quarters and finished the night with 32 points (14-of-23 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), 12 rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, and two 3-pointers. Again, he made solid, quick decisions with the basketball and played with effort on the defensive end, at one point even sprinting back in transition and almost creating a turnover.

Over the Knicks' first 16 games this season, Randle didn't shoot above 50% from the floor in a single game. Remarkably, Randle has now shot above 50% in six of his past seven contests.

During this current seven-game stretch, he is averaging 28.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists while converting 59.7% of his FGs and 41.9% of his 3PTs.

On the flip side of the coin, while Randle has turned his season around, RJ Barrett has come crashing back down to earth. RJ was just 3-of-16 from the floor Wednesday in Utah, including 0-of-7 from behind the arc.

After playing some of the best basketball of his career over the first month of the season, Barrett has been brutally inefficient since recovering from the illness/migraine that sidelined him for a week in mid-November.

Over New York's first seven games of the season, Barrett averaged 22.6 points and 2.9 treys while slashing a scorching 49/50/85%.

In 11 games he's played since returning from the migraine, he's averaging 16.7 points and 1.3 triples while shooting below 38% from the floor, 25% from downtown and 81% from the charity stripe.

Look at these wildly separate splits.

Barrett's first seven games this season:
158 points on 113 FG attempts
True Shooting percentage: 62%
Plus/Minus: +76

Barrett's past eight games this season:
137 points on 125 FG attempts
True Shooting percentage: 47%
Plus/Minus: -36

Over the first nine games of the 2023-24 campaign, Barrett has the highest 3PT% among all NBA players averaging 20+ PPG:
1. RJ Barrett: 50.0%
2. Steph Curry: 44.6%
3. Lauri Markkanen: 44.6%

Over each player's past nine games this season, Barrett has the lowest three-point percentage among all 87 NBA players attempting 5+ 3PT shots per game:
87. RJ Barrett: 21.3%
86. Spencer Dinwiddie: 28.1%
85. Dillon Brooks: 28.3%

For better or worse, these wild swings from spectacular, top-tier production to crippling, insane inefficiency ... have occurred throughout RJ Barrett's career.

From his rookie season through this, his fifth year in the league.