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RJ Barrett poured in a career-high 46 points Friday night, but it angers him to know that he easily could have had more.
Barrett clanked eight of a season-high 22 free-throw attempts in the Knicks’ 15-point loss to the Heat, a continuation of a poor season from the line for the otherwise improving third-year wing and for a large chunk of the team’s roster.
“It’s pissing me off,” Barrett said after practice Saturday in Tarrytown. “I just made 200 [free throws] just now. I don’t know. I think it’s more mental than anything. I shot it OK last year, I was shooting it OK the beginning of this year.
“I’m getting there [to the line] more, so I’ve just got to focus and lock in.”
Indeed, Barrett connected on 74.6 percent of his attempts from the stripe in 2020-21, a vast improvement from the figure he’d posted as a rookie (.614) the previous year. The former Duke star has dropped back to .690 through 49 appearances this year, however, as part of the Knicks (25-35) leaving far too many points at the line in close games.
“Especially just for myself, I’m thinking we lost by what, 15? I missed eight. It’s like, if I make those, or at least make six, it’s a completely different game coming down the stretch,” Barrett said. “I want to get to 80 percent. Last year I think I was at like 74-75.
“I want to get to 80, not to only help myself, but the team.”
Collectively, the Knicks rank 25th out of 30 NBA teams with an overall percentage of .751 — ahead of only the Spurs, Hornets, Grizzlies, Lakers and Rockets entering Saturday’s league slate.
Julius Randle’s free-throw conversion rate also is down — from 81.1 percent last year to 76.8 — while starting guard Evan Fournier is shooting nearly 10 points lower (.723) from the line than his career percentage (.805) over his previous nine NBA seasons.
Backup guard Immanuel Quickley still remains one of the league’s top free-throw shooters at 91.4 percent, but he has taken only 93 attempts from the line over 56 games this season (1.7 per game). That represents a steep decline from his 174 tries in 64 games as a rookie last year (2.7 per game), which largely can be attributed to the NBA’s rule changes this season aimed to decrease foul calls on non-basketball moves.
“I try to get to the line as much as possible. Obviously, I’m not getting to the line as much as I probably need to be getting there,” Quickley said Saturday. “But yeah, I try to. It’s a good high-percentage shot for me. So yeah, I think I need to get there a little bit more and create more opportunities.”
Asked to expand on his previous answer about his free-throw shooting woes being a “mental” thing, Barrett added, “I’m not thinking too much. I really don’t know what it is. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. Lately they haven’t been. Sometimes you’re 7-for-7, 8-for-8. Sometimes it happens like [Friday] night.”
Either way, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau wants Barrett — who is averaging 23.8 points over his past 21 games — to continue attacking the rim in Sunday’s home contest against James Harden and the revamped 76ers.
“I think it’s one of the things that he’s done well. He’s always been in the paint. He’s always been downhill, so I think that as he’s gotten stronger, I think that’s helped him,” Thibodeau said. “I think as he reads defenses better, I think the improved shooting has set up the drive better for him.
“You can see his confidence growing. Oftentimes, I think experience is the best teacher, and he’s gained a lot from his experiences. Trial and error is a big part of learning, so I think now he’s been through the league a few times, he’s starting to understand how to attack.”
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