Ranking the Golden State Warriors’ Best Drafts of the Past Decade
By John Kim
No. 3: 2012 Draft
May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes (40) reacts during the third quarter in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Harrison Barnes was drafted in 2012 with the seventh pick. Surprisingly, the Warriors had two good draft years in a row, as Barnes emerged as a solid player with major contributions throughout the regular season and playoffs.
Barnes started in 81 games for the Warriors and was the only rookie drafted in the top 10 that made the playoffs. Like Thompson, Barnes’ health and ability to play an entire season was a huge contributing factor to the Warriors’ success
Barnes contributed 9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, where the stakes are much higher, Barnes stepped up his contribution to 16.1 points and 6.4 rebounds. He scored at least 20 points four times, and had two double-doubles.
On a team with natural scorers like Curry, Thompson and Lee, Barnes is finding his way and contributing where he can. He started becoming more aggressive throughout the playoffs to the benefit of the Warriors. Once he begins to use his athleticism to attack the rim on a nightly basis, the Warriors will benefit from another offensive weapon.
With only one season under his belt, it may be too early to peg Barnes as the future of the Warriors. But if you watch this guy play, his athleticism and basketball IQ as a 21-year-old points to a very successful NBA career.