The Knicks' next teenage savior _ or the one that's expected to land in New York _ has a mentor with two NBA MVPs and a strong belief.
For Steve Nash, it's not just that RJ Barrett is a special talent with the body and game tailored for today's NBA. It's also that Barrett accepted his status in Zion Williamson's enormous shadow, and history shows humility is important to thrive at the Garden.
People without it (ahem, Stephon Marbury and Phil Jackson) are eaten alive.
"I think he'll be an exciting player for Knicks fans. He's able to handle that type of stuff (of being in New York) because he's been at Duke but he's also been one of the top, if not the No. 1 kid, since he's been 13, 14 years old. So he's able to handle it," Nash told the Daily News in a phone interview from L.A. "And then to have Zion sort of eclipse him in the draft and in the public view this season, and then to watch the way he's handled it and the way he's been _ he's never pointed a finger, he never made an excuse.
"He's only embraced Zion as his teammate and that says a lot about his character. It's difficult at that age to be anointed so young and then have somebody eclipse you, especially on your own team, and he's handled all that so well. He's a very mature and good-spirited person, which I think is huge characteristic for a professional athlete. You have ups and downs, it's how you deal with them kind of predicts what type of ceiling you have and how many obstacles you overcome."
Nash can speak on Barrett with authority as his godfather. He and Barrett's father, Rowan, were teammates on the Canadian National Team and obviously friendly enough to foster this familial bond. That continued even as basketball kept them separated during the season, with Nash in Phoenix or L.A. and his godson growing up in Toronto. Nash, coincidentally, will be in New York the day before the draft for his annual Chinatown charity soccer game (more on that later), but unfortunately can't attend Barrett's big night in Barclays Center because his wife is expecting in California.
Still, Nash is available for advice and basketball lessons. He's always been good with assists.
"If he ever needs anything or he's going through a tough time or something that's bothering him. He never hesitates to reach out," said Nash, 45, who has attended some of Barrett's recent training sessions in L.A. "I was in the gym working out with him the other day."
If the Knicks keep their third overall pick (and that's a big IF with Anthony Davis on the market), picking Barrett feels like fait accompli. The Pelicans are locked into Zion Williamson at No. 1 overall, and the Grizzlies are reportedly keen on Murray State's Ja Morant with the second pick.
Barrett, the 6-foot-7 guard from Toronto, would then become the obvious pick for the Knicks, representing the franchise's highest draft choice since Patrick Ewing in 1985. Barrett met with Knicks brass last week and has since been training in L.A., where he'll attend his agency's Pro Day on May 28 at UCLA.
Nash, who was a consultant to the Warriors for a few years after his retirement in 2015, envisions Barrett as a versatile playmaker and defender. The Hall of Famer is bullish on his godson, who embraced being second-fiddle at Duke by becoming Zion Williamson's good friend.
On the court, they both thrived.
"He's got such an incredible skillset that we forget he's 18 years old for a few more weeks (Barrett's 19th birthday is June 14). He's got a big upside and he's going to have a big effect on the NBA game, I think," Nash said. "I think he'll develop into a guy who can guard multiple players. But he's definitely a ballhandling wing, somebody who can play the point, the 2 or the 3.
"In today's game, who knows? They can go small and he can be the 4 for stretches. So especially when you project when he's going to be 22, 23 years old, he might look and feel a lot different. But the things that are very hard to teach, like feel for the game and ability to make teammates better and make plays, he's already ahead in those areas. Because those are things that are difficult to teach. Very few players pick that up during their career."
