NBA Rumors: Steve Nash Confident Godson Will Be Successful In Pro Hoop Career

Retired NBA star Steve Nash knows what it takes to become successful in the NBA. In his book, RJ Barrett has the hopes to follow his footsteps, calling him a well-rounded player and someone who does a bit of everything.

Unfortunately, Nash missed the chance to see the third overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft. Barrett is out with an ankle sprain and will be out for about a week, NBC Sports reported. The 19-year-old suffered the injury in their game against the Phoenix Suns.

"I think he will evolve into a great playmaker because that’s a natural ability for him that he doesn’t necessarily get to shine in at this stage of his career and on this stage of this team. That’s exciting for Knicks fans that he still produces, he’s versatile, he can score," said Nash via the New York Daily News.

For the benefit of those who may not know, Barrett was used as the primary ball-handler back in college when he played for the Duke Blue Devils. Touted as one of the future stars for the New York Knicks. Barrett has had a good rookie year. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Barrett has played in 41 games, averaging 41.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Despite his efforts, the Knicks are 11-32 in the NBA Eastern Conference. They hold low hopes of making it to the NBA playoffs this season.

As mentioned in a previous post, the future of the Knicks hinges heavily on Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. Both have shown semblances of promise but need more years to build up their experience and maturity.

In the case of Barrett, it is not plainly about what he can do on offense. He has shown that he can be a reliable defensive stopper as well, unafraid to challenge opposing players.

Looking ahead, it will be interesting who will still be around to guide Barrett and Robinson. Marcus Morris is reportedly one of the new leaders likely to be kept although the case does not hold true for other NBA vets. Among the names who have been mentioned in trade rumors include Bobby Portis, Julius Randle, and Dennis Smith Jr.

With the turbulent season, the Knicks have had this NBA season, there is a lot to work on in the offseason. Mike Miller currently serves as a coach on an interim basis with no word yet if New York will be hiring a new one for the 2020-21 season.