Knicks' Tom Thibodeau Calls Questioning RJ Barrett's Defensive Workload 'Comical'

The head coach of the New York Knicks doesn't see it that way.

I don't think so. "That's funny, I'm not sure if he's taking on a bigger defensive workload this year to make up for the lack of defense brought on by the duo of Fournier and Brunson," said the coach.

The opposing team's top perimeter threat is one of the reasons whyBarrett has had to cover them.

According to the New York Daily News, the 22-year-old was fifth in the NBA in distance covered on defense. This is something he has been doing for a long time.

In each of his first three seasons with the Knicks, he led the team in distance traveled.

It has been just four games, but it looks like the focus on defense has led to an impact on his scoring efficiency. He's shooting 38.0 percent from the floor and 14.2 percent from deep, and he's averaged 17.8 points, 6.3 rebound and 2.3 assists.

In 70 games, he averaged a career-high 20.0 points while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor and 34.2% from 3-point range.

In his first three seasons, he shot at least 40% from the floor.

He doesn't believe the amount of ground he has had to cover defensively has led to his scoring issues.

I'm not sure. I feel like I did well last year when I was guarding people. I feel my rhythm is coming back after not playing for a while, and I think I could be playing better on the offensive side.

Some of the defensive workload could be taken away fromBarrett in the future, though it's not clear when he will return from his foot injury.

The Knicks are riding a three-game winning streak. They will be behind the East's top-tier teams if they don't get some help defensively.