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Duke Basketball: Could the Pels get both Zion and Barrett?

By Joseph Ochoa

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 24: Zion Williamson #1 2 and RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrate after defeating the UCF Knights in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 24: Zion Williamson #1 2 and RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrate after defeating the UCF Knights in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Knicks leaning towards Darius Garland over RJ Barrett?

With the draft just a day away, the NBA rumor mill is working at maximum efficiency, as the biggest rumor is the New York Knicks will not select Duke shooting guard RJ Barrett and multiple teams are trying to trade up to select Barrett.

Reports suggest that the Knicks are leaning towards taking Darius Garland, point guard for the Vanderbilt Commodores, with the third overall pick in the draft, creating a scenario of multiple teams attempting to trade ahead of the Pelicans to trade up to take Barrett.

The most likely scenario that could play out is the New Orleans Pelicans, who have the No. 1 overall pick in addition to the No. 4 overall pick, could potentially select both Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, reuniting the Duke duo in New Orleans.

Zion and Barrett need to be on different teams, with Barrett on a team with excellent development

Personally, I hope this doesn’t happen, as I think the two will each have better careers if they are apart from one another.

Zion will have no issue dominating other players at his size and his force at the rim can bring down the entire arena. Barrett, however, along with Cam Reddish was the hindrance to Duke that prevented its best-recruiting class from winning the 2019 National Championship.

The team relied upon three-point shooting when they shouldn’t have been, as the team ranked 327th in the country in team three-point shooting with just under 31-percent.

While Barrett was fine, his greatest weakness was his ability to score from beyond the arc, as he was a 30.8-percent three-point shooter during his time with the Blue Devils.

Where will Barrett ultimately go?

Ultimately, I still think he will go to the Knicks. The Knicks need someone who can generate some star power and someone who has played a full season and Garland only played five games during his stint with the Commodores. Barrett has already explicitly said the team he prefers to play for is the Knicks so this is a match made for the Big Apple. He’s like a young Carmelo Anthony and is young enough to change some of his bad shooting habits now. Zion will more than likely to be drafted by the Pelicans, and with Barrett going to the Knicks in our Mock Draft, the dream of combining Zion and Barrett again will likely not happen.

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