Is Playoff Harrison Barnes Real?

Harrison Barnes seems to step up in the playoffs. Does he actually perform better?

Death, taxes, and….playoff HB?

It’s hard to find many things wrong with a team that could go down as the greatest team of all-time, but Harrison Barnes‘ season, for some, is one of them. Barnes has been extremely frustrating, disappearing at times. While Barnes’ inconsistent play is nothing new, his impending free agency and the possibility of replacing him with Kevin Durant has elevated expectations.

Barnes, 23, is averaging a career-high in points this season. His rebounding numbers are a little down from last year, but he’s done a good job this season of getting Golden State extra possessions by securing offensive boards. His shooting is, for some reason, much worse than last year. Despite getting a lot of good, open looks, Barnes is hitting just 38 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and 46 percent from the field. With defenses looking to force the ball out of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson‘s hands, Barnes needs to knock down his open shots.

Barnes’ regular seasons have always been like this–flashes of greatness followed by a vanishing act. But somehow, come playoff time, the former-Tar Heel transforms into someone else, aggressively attacking the basket and knocking down big shots. In the wonderful world of social media, #PlayoffHB tweets get fired off quicker than a Steph Curry step back three.

So does Playoff HB exist?

Barnes’ career playoff points and rebounds per game both go up compared to his regular season numbers. As a rookie, Barnes became an integral part of the Warriors’ offense against the San Antonio Spurs when Gregg Popovich decided to cross-match, putting Kawhi Leonard on Curry. This left Tony Parker on Barnes and the Warriors fed him constantly.

Barnes has scored at least 14 points in six of his last eight contests. After going extended stretches without hitting a three, he’s hit at least two in five of his last six games. He scored seven of his nine points in a crucial fourth quarter against the Spurs in San Antonio for the Warriors 72nd win. Seemingly out of nowhere, Barnes is stepping up down the stretch with the playoffs right around the corner.

Curious, right?

Some players step up in big moments. It’s hard to explain. The sample size probably isn’t big enough to determine if Barnes is really a big playoff performer. But maybe his improved play as of late has to do with the postseason that’s rapidly approaching. Or perhaps his new contract that was getting smaller by the day.

Barnes’ role has changed in the playoffs at times. This season he got lost in an offense that used him as the last option at times. With cross-matching and defenses trying especially hard to contain the Splash Brothers, Barnes finds himself with more opportunities. So perhaps it’s the opportunities that gives him better results.

There’s a lot at stake in these upcoming playoffs. Anything less than a championship isn’t only a failure, it’s an embarrassment. Tying the single-season win record and not winning a championship would immediately erase all the good this team has done thus far.

The Warriors definitely could use some #PlayoffHB magic once again.