RJ Barrett's star has fallen the last two NBA seasons. A change of scenery could do the newest Raptor some good

What’s that old saw about a change being as good as a rest? The dissection of Saturday’s Knicks continues as one year passes into the next, and it may be the most applicable point to consider when the conversation turns to repatriated Canadian . He’s hardly a codger at just 23 years old, but after just more than four seasons as first the apple of the Big Apple’s eye and now a third alternative behind two more hyped, ball dominant teammates in Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, escaping to new surroundings could be the perfect elixir for the native of Mississauga.

Most of the early discussion of the and the departure of the and how badly his skills will be missed. But to look past the intriguing aspect of Barrett, the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, establishing himself as a key Raptors cog is foolish because the new opportunity may be just what he needs. He’s going to be "a piece," just not "the piece." He should benefit from the passing abilities of his teammates and Toronto’s desire to play fast in transition.

He’s not the greatest shooter (34.2 per cent career from three, 42.2 per cent from the field overall) and he’s not a great defender or rebounder, but he’s not bad at either discipline by any stretch. And now with a chance just to play, that’s what he’s likely to do. Just play free and easy and without major expectations.

One thing to consider: Two coaches who have great respect in their craft, Nick Nurse of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jordi Fernández of the Sacramento Kings, have come away from time with Barrett and the Canadian national team raving about his dedication to his craft, mentality l. Those are laudable attributes, absolutely, and need to be something that Darko Rajakovic and his staff mine starting with their first workout with Barrett.

There’s been a bit of stagnation and slide to Barrett’s offensive game the last couple of seasons, but that’s not entirely of his own doing or because of any personal shortcomings. If he can become more of a cutter and someone who benefits off secondary half court offence, there’s no reason to think his production won’t tick up.

If Randle's arrival in 2019 cut into Barrett’s profile, the appearance of Brunson in a Knicks uniform last season did even more. Brunson, in the midst of an all star season, is . He’s a scoring guard, a major free agent acquisition, the son of an ex Knick and current New York assistant coach and a player represented by the son of the team’s president.

Brunson is the current face of a storied franchise. It shifted Barrett, who is owed about $82 million (U.S.) over the next three seasons. It had to affect him in some small way mentally, and it absolutely had an impact on how he was used in a far more deliberate offence than he’ll play in with the Raptors.

There will be pressure, of course. He’s the best Canadian to ever wear a Raptors uniform and that carries with it some special weight. He will be in demand from the media almost daily and that’s going to be in stark contrast to being with the press averse Knicks, one of the truly great obstructionist media relations departments in the NBA.

But the team’s style of play, the teammates he’ll share the court and responsibility with, are different here than they were in New York. And that change may be most welcome..