The Resurgence of Harrison Barnes Under Steve Kerr
Last season, Harrison Barnes struggled mightily with his game and a new role with the Golden State Warriors. After a stellar rookie season, the Warriors signed Andre Iguodala to become their new starting small forward and Barnes would become the Warriors’ sixth man. In this position, Barnes constantly looked lost and was forced to lead the substitutes because Coach Mark Jackson, for some reason, would take all his starters out at once. Barnes regressed, unable to lead his fellow reserves, and as a result, the bench struggled last season.
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Fast forward to the 2014-15 season with a new coach in charge and brand new role. This season, Barnes is starting again with Iguodala as his backup and Barnes has flourished in the starting lineup. Unlike last season where he was the focal point of the reserves, now he is playing with two all-stars, an energetic forward and highly talented center. On most possessions, Barnes is either the fourth or fifth threat on the court with the defense paying the most attention to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. This allows Barnes many more open looks and he has capitalized on the situation.
Dec 4, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) dunks the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Last season, Barnes averaged 9.5 points and grabbed four rebounds per game while shooting just 40 percent from the field. This season, Barnes has played much better, getting more open looks and finishing at the rim. He is averaging 10.4 points per game, only more point than last season but he is shooting immensely better, hitting 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from three point range. He was grabbing more rebounds on both ends of the court at six per game.
To illustrate how much better of a shooter Barnes is this season compared to last season, here are a couple shot charts:
2013-14
In 2013-14 season, Barnes’ hot spots were at the top of the key and in the paint. Scoring in the paint has always been a strength of Barnes but hitting his highest percentage from the top of the key makes absolutely no sense. The top of the key shot is hardest shot to hit in the NBA because it is the longest shot. The shot chart also shows that Barnes never really had a sweet spot all season, which makes sense because the Warriors offense last season was horrible, filled with isolations and no ball movement.
2014-15
In 2014-15, alongside the best starting five in the NBA, Barnes has had a resurgence, shooting over 70 percent from the right corner and over 45 percent from the left corner. These are his sweet spots from the perimeter, something that was nonexistent last season. He is also finishing at the rim like DeAndre Jordan, hitting 61 percent at the rim, almost unheard of for a small forward, comparable to the best player in the game, LeBron James.
With all the cutting and ball movement the Warriors have employed this season, it should be no surprise that Barnes is finishing more at the rim and hitting an absurdly high percentage from three point range from the corners. With Curry and Thompson getting all the attention at the perimeter, it allows Barnes open lanes to the hoop because the defense is all spread out with ten eyes on either Curry or Thompson. Curry and Thompson are also great drivers and when they do take it to the paint, the defense collapses and Barnes is constantly open in the corner.
It has been the perfect recipe for the Warriors and is one of the reasons why this team is atop the Western Conference. Barnes’ confidence is at an all-time high and will be necessary for a long postseason run this season, a welcome surprise to all Warriors fans.