David Fizdale Praises RJ Barrett After Knicks Debut: 'That Kid's Ready'

New York Knicks rookie guard RJ Barrett looks like the real deal after scoring 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting in his regular-season debut on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs.

Knicks head coach David Fizdale, who spoke with reporters after his team's 120-111 loss, offered strong praise following Barrett's efficient performance:

The Knicks selected Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

That selection naturally came with lofty expectations, but Barrett is meeting them so far.

He effortlessly glided to the rim for easy buckets:

He knocked down a big second-quarter three to help the Knicks claw out of a 16-point second-quarter deficit:

And he caused problems on the defensive end with two steals, including one that directly led to a Julius Randle bucket:

Barrett seems much wiser and more mature beyond his 19 years, and he's now the second-youngest player ever to score 20 or more points in his debut, per Basketball Reference (h/t Tommy Beer of Rotoworld). The only one younger was 18-year-old LeBron James for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.

The ex-Duke Blue Devil will return to the court on Friday when the Knicks visit the Brooklyn Nets. Barrett's home debut is scheduled for Saturday against the Boston Celtics.