Harrison Barnes: The Unsung Hero of the Golden State Warriors
You could say that Kendall Marshall is pretty good friends with Harrison Barnes.
Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
They were classmates back in their college days at the University of North Carolina. Roommates, even. But more importantly, they were teammates.
Going into college, Marshall, now 23, was considered one of the top point guards in the nation. He dazzled fans with his passing ability, which was founded upon a solid basketball IQ and incredible court vision. Barnes, now 22, was considered THE top recruit in the 2010 college recruitment class and recognized as a high school phenom.
Unfortunately, neither of them found success in college basketball, and after falling short in the NCAA tournament, Marshall left UNC early in 2012 to pursue his dreams of being a NBA player. Right alongside him, trying to pursue the same exact dream, was Harrison Barnes.
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The Phoenix Suns desperately needed a new point guard to usher in a new era after the departure of Steve Nash, so they took Marshall with the 13th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Just a few moments before, Barnes had fallen to the 7th pick in the draft, going to the rather lowly and underachieving Golden State Warriors.
Many Warriors fans were ecstatic to have even had the chance at nabbing Barnes, who some considered worth taking as the 2nd overall pick. And they certainly had a reason to be — Barnes oozed potential.
Scouts would go on and on talking about his athleticism, his “NBA body,” solid defense, good shooting, etc., but it’s arguable that no one else in that draft class knew Barnes better than Marshall. As his friend, he didn’t get wrapped up in Barnes’ hype. Instead, following the draft, Marshall spoke about Barnes and pointed out the reality of it all.
"“I think Harrison’s becoming the player that everybody tried to make him out to be a year and a half ago,” Marshall said. “That’s not to insult his game at all. Sometimes players just have to grow into that.”"
Now three years after being drafted, people are STILL waiting for Barnes to grow into “that,” whatever “that” may be. People would like to think that “that” is a future star player, but there’s others that have come to the conclusion that maybe, he’s a bust.
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That’s not to say there haven’t been flashes. Everyone remembers his emphatic jam over Minnesota Timberwolves center, Nikola Pekovic. He had a solid postseason series against the San Antonio Spurs as a rookie. He survived his sophomore slump. And now, he’s a corner three specialist that benefits from being the second-to-last offensive option in the starting lineup.
Taking a page out of Marshall’s book, however, that’s not to insult Barnes’ game at all. Because where most people say tomayto, I say tomahto.
Barnes had a commendable first round against the New Orleans Pelicans in this year’s playoffs, averaging just 8.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 43.3 percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from three. His perimeter work on the defensive end was also key, holding opponents to a team-high 23.7 percent from behind the arc when he was on the court (opponents shot 50% when he was off the floor).
Offensively, Barnes’ performance may not stand out, but it makes sense considering Stephen Curry was putting up MVP-level numbers (because he is, you know, the real MVP).
Having Klay Thompson average 25 points and Draymond Green drop in 16 points and 12 boards a night also probably helped, and it was the defensive presence of Green and Andrew Bogut that completely stifled New Orleans.
But everything that has happened to Barnes since being drafted — the “bust” question, his sophomore slump, the Pelicans series — has helped turn Barnes into the one player whom I consider to be the most dangerous weapon the Warriors can throw out against the Memphis Grizzlies.
In their “moment of truth” being down 2-1, the Warriors were able to tie up their second round series with the Grizz this past Monday. While Curry may get the most credit for the win after his 33-point performance, it was Harrison Barnes’ intensity that game that led the way for the Warriors; in fact, it’s Harrison Barnes that has been Golden State’s guiding light throughout the entire series.
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
With Curry and Thompson struggling to shoot the ball and the defense struggling to stop the likes of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, Barnes’ second round averages of 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds on 58.3 percent shooting has been the Warriors’ one glimmer of hope.
Like the Splash Brothers, Barnes has struggled to drain anything from the deep end, but he’s remained aggressive within the arc and pressed the attack with every passing second. His Game 4 stat line of 12 points and 6 rebounds may not scream “future superstar,” but his 6-14 shooting (42.9%) speaks volumes in terms of his confidence going into Game 5.
Following Game 4, Barnes spoke to the media on his aggressive mentality and physical play, emphasizing much of what he was saying by reportedly “smacking his hand” in regards to the physicality of the series.
Excerpts from ESPN’s Ethan Strauss:
"“After watching Game 3, we saw how we just got punked,” Barnes said. “Offensive rebounds, post ups, how we were running our offense almost from half court. We knew we had to come out and be physical tonight.”“We knew that we’re going to go to the basket. We gotta go through punching. And that’s what I try to do, try and get fouls. And if we get knocked to the ground, we’re gonna get up, and we’re gonna go right back at em.”"
Barnes also touched base on the Warriors’ first round exit last season and how his performance in their 7-game series with former Pacific Division champs, the Los Angeles Clippers, had affected him moving forward.
"“I do personally regret not being aggressive enough in the Clippers’ series,” Barnes said. “That’s something honestly I carried with me to this season, this postseason. Feeling like, is there something more I could have done? Whether it be more physical here, more aggressive here, just more aware. I just didn’t want that same regret when I’m done to say I wasn’t aggressive enough in the postseason.”"
Barnes’ versatility at his position has also been a plus for the Warriors, as he’s been able to guard Memphis’ Randolph for a few stretches. Known to play one-on-one with Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton, Barnes has grown to be better equipped when facing off against bigger bodies.
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But the main reason why I believe Barnes can be such a huge X-Factor for GSW is because all of Memphis’ defensive pressure has centered around Curry and Thompson thus far in the series; in other words, Memphis views Barnes as the second-to-last offensive option, whereas I view him as I did before he was drafted: a fountain of untapped potential (not á la Pinocchio).
While Draymond could prove central to the team’s success should he got hot from behind the arc against the Grizzlies’ big men, it would be unwise to bet all your cards on a subpar three-point shooter. That leaves Barnes, who currently leads the team in points scored per 100 possessions, a.k.a. offensive rating, for the series (103.5 on the court, 92.0 off the court).
It honestly doesnt matter who is guarding him — if Barnes can continue to be aggressive and work to motivate his team by matching the Grizz’s physicality, he could continue to prove an unsolvable problem for Memphis.
All stats were provided by NBAStats.com and accurate as of May 12, 2015.