Steve Nash is sticking up for a fellow Canadian amidst the end of his season.
The Duke Blue Devils were eliminated in Sunday’s Elite Eight game with a 68-67 loss to Michigan State. Star freshman RJ Barrett was the goat of sorts for Duke, going 7-for-17 from the floor with seven turnovers and a huge miss from the free throw line with less than ten seconds left in the contest.
After the defeat, Nash, the retired NBA great, took to Twitter to rave about the 18-year-old. Prefacing it by saying that Barrett was his godson, Nash praised the talented swingman’s playmaking skills and ability to read the floor.
RJ Barrett (*yes, is my godson) is a next level playmaker at his age, 18, and size. Makes every read/pass. This is one skill that is easier in many respects due to the rules at the nba level but so damn valuable. Blown away at the reads and deliveries he made repetatively.
— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) April 1, 2019
Duke put their fate in Barrett’s hands down the stretch against Michigan State in what ultimately turned out to be a fairly big mistake. None of that changes Barrett’s upside and overall polish for his age however, and he will certainly be a high lottery pick if he declares for this year’s NBA draft as is expected.
