Harrison Barnes is on the hot seat, but if the Warriors can’t acquire Kevin Durant, they should look to resign him.
After a disappointing and stunning end to the season, the Golden State Warriors shift their attention to free agency and their number one target, Kevin Durant.
The addition of Durant will put the Warriors in position to win their second title in three years no matter who else is on this roster. Durant would give the Warriors another dynamic scorer that can get his own shot and relieving some of the pressure off reigning two-time MVP, Stephen Curry.
But before you start a parade for Durant, there is no guarantee he will leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Warriors. His current team was only one game away from the NBA Finals and arguably the most talented in the NBA, even with the loss of Serge Ibaka. Ibaka was dealt on Draft night for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis.
Many experts have said the Thunder got better with this deal because they sent a disgruntled veteran (Ibaka) for a rising star (Oladipo) and promising lottery pick (Sabonis). Durant may think the Thunder have done enough to overtake the Warriors in the Western Conference and if that is the case, he will stay in Oklahoma City.
The Warriors have been linked to Nicolas Batum and Chandler Parsons to replace Harrison Barnes, which seem like better options. Barnes, obviously, struggled throughout the postseason with his worst games coming in the NBA Finals. In Games five through seven, Barnes shot an anemic 16 percent from the field and 20 percent from three-point range with many of his shots being wide open. Warriors fans have grown tired of Barnes’ antics but this is the same guy that was the starting small forward on the two best teams in team history.
People are acting like Barnes is a terrible player because he struggled when the Warriors needed him most but I feel the best is yet to come and the first step to his improvement is being named to the Olympic team. Many players before him declined invitations but this will be very good for him, much like it was for his current teammates, Curry and Klay Thompson.
Before Curry and Thompson were affiliated with USA Basketball, both of their games were predicated on long-range shooting with very little penetration. Since then, Curry has become an unanimous MVP and one of the best finishers in the paint and Thompson can get to the rim with ease and is arguably the best two-way player in the NBA. The hope is that Barnes will improve his game playing with even more superstar players much like Curry and Thompson did.
While Curry and Thompson’s games took off after international competition, Draymond Green’s skills took off after he received a new contract last offseason. In the Warriors first championship run, Green was looked at like a role player that could hit the occasional three with relentless energy. After he signed last offseason, he became a top-15 player in the NBA, becoming their best playmaker, averaging a near double-double and arguably the Warriors’ most valuable player.
A new contract for Barnes may do wonders for his game much like it did for Green and Thompson. It is very possible that Barnes was thinking about his next contract in the NBA Finals and throughout the regular season, making his game suffer, especially in the postseason. Throughout his career, Barnes usually steps up during the playoffs, playing his best basketball of the season, which makes you think that he was really thinking about his future.
With all that on the table, he is still a better option than Batum or Parsons because of his versatility, durability and youth. Barnes can play both small and power forward where Batum and Parsons are seen as wing players and struggle defending in the paint. While Parsons is a better shooter than Barnes, Batum is a career 44 percent from the field, comparable to Barnes at 45 percent.
The biggest red flag with Parsons is his health. Parsons seems to be constantly hurt, only playing 61 games last season while only playing one game in the playoffs due to a torn meniscus. If Parsons was more durable, even with his lack of defensive ability, he would be a better option than Barnes.
With Batum, he is a comparable shooter to Barnes, but like Parsons, struggles on the defensive end. His durability is pretty good but his shooting and defense do not make him a better option than Barnes.
The final deciding factor is youth. Barnes is only 24 while Batum and Parsons are 27. Three years does not seem like much but we may have seen Batum and Parsons best years while Barnes best years are ahead of him.
The Warriors first option is Durant but chances are they will not sign him. Even with all the disappointment from Barnes, he is a solid number two option in free agency because of his versatility, defensive ability and youth.
If Barnes can repeat Green and Thompson’s performances after their new deals, the Warriors will be handsomely rewarded by re-signing the Black Falcon.