There was point during Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals where the outcome was in doubt. Coming out of a Warriors timeout with nine and a half minutes to go, the Rockets had pulled to within eight of Golden State and it seemed a comeback was inevitable. A Warrior stepped up to squash that hope, but it was one you might not expect.
Harrison Barnes is more important than you think
Over the next two minutes Harrison Barnes scored nine points on an array of shots, culminating in a dunk that brought Oracle Arena to its feet and gave the home side an 87-72 lead that it would not relinquish in their 104-90 victory.
For many who watched, this was simply a role player making the most of what little opportunity he had. When people think of the Warriors they see the Splash Brothers, Iggy and Draymond Green. Barnes’ stats this season have not been anything that will jump off the page, but his contribution throughout the year, and especially this playoff season, proves his worth as one of the most underrated players in the NBA.
While many less-heralded players are known, and even celebrated, for being underrated, this position away from the spotlight is something that is new to Barnes. The number one player in his high school class and a preseason First-Team All-American in his freshman year at North Carolina, the Ames, Iowa native has always had pressure thrust upon him to be the go-to player on his team. In his three seasons on the Warriors, however, Barnes’ role has fluctuated as he struggled to find where he belonged in the rotation.
After starting his rookie year and coming off the bench in his sophomore campaign, he found his stride amidst a plethora of talent in Golden State. His shooting percentage, three-point percentage and minutes, points and rebounds per game have all been career highs, but it’s his versatility that makes him stand out.
He came into the League as a small forward, but has been most effective as a power forward in a smaller Warriors lineup. His ability to bang in the paint and rebound, as well as shoot and run the floor, makes him a matchup that is impossible to ignore (as most teams tend to do when having to worry about others such as the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green). If you think there are plenty of other players like Barnes in this league, you better take another look.
If his versatility isn’t enough for the casual fan, a look at some other numbers might. Barnes leads the Warriors these playoffs in offensive rebounds, and in Game 5 he had the second-highest plus/minus on a deep Golden State team (the only player higher was Shaun Livingston, who played 18 minutes to Barnes’ 35). Simply put, good things happen when Barnes is on the floor.
There are plenty of questions about Barnes’ play heading into the Finals. He will surely be on the committee to help stop LeBron James, and will probably have more than a few pundits questioning whether or not he’s capable of doing so. Although his offensive game as improved since he entered the League, he might not be the player that most thought he would be when he was drafted three years ago. But maybe that’s okay. Maybe he’s not playing his personal best, but right now he’s doing exactly what the Warriors need. The Warriors are the first time Barnes hasn’t been the face of a team he’s played on. But he’s a part of the body of work that is the Warriors team, and they won’t win an NBA championship unless the most underrated player the Finals is present, lurking in the shadows or stealing the spotlight. Barnes has experience with both.
