RJ Barrett labored through another rough shooting night in Friday's loss to the Bucks, making just one of his seven 3-point attempts while shooting 7-for-17 from the floor.
Barrett, who signed a $100 million contract extension this offseason, is shooting just 37.8 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from downtown through five games this season.
Is the 22-year-old's offensive production being sacrificed because of having to do more on the defensive end?
Asked before Friday's game whether Barrett is being asked to shoulder more responsibility on defense, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau quickly shot that idea down.
"No," Thibodeau said, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. "That's comical."
As Bondy noted, Barrett it being asked to cover a lot of ground defensively, but that is not much different than his previous years with the Knicks. Some have wondered whether Barrett is exerting more energy on the defensive end to make up for the struggles on defense by Evan Fournier and newcomer Jalen Brunson, but Barrett put together a strong season last year while still sharing the floor with Fournier and Kemba Walker, who struggled badly on defense before injuries and inefficiency ended his season.
Neither Barrett nor Thibodeau believe that defense is sapping his offense, and expect to see a turnaround soon. Still, Barrett is clearly struggling with his stroke to start the season.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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