[franfranParticipant]

In 3 games of Play-Offs, Harrison Barnes is averaging, 17 points 5 reb, 1,7 asis with 57,6% – 58,3% – 75%

This guy will be great!

[SpacegrassParticipant]

Barnes falling to 7th in the draft was a good thing. With Curry , Lee , Thompson , and Bogut as good to great players Barnes doesn’t have to be relied upon solely for offense and it seems to be helping him gain confidence the more he plays since Lee is now done. Plus that lack of an explosive 1st step that hindered him getting to the rim more against the defensively packed in college game is that he has space now to make that average first step not be as much a weakness. Doesn’t hurt to have a guy like Curry for him to play 2nd fiddle to and that whole team can shoot the 3 ball. Great spacing!

[omphalosParticipant]

@Spacegrass; Yes and no. I think Barnes was ready to contribute earlier in the season, he just took some time to adjust to a new role as a DTA player instead of a probable first option if he’d been selected by say, Charlotte.

Barnes’ shot attempts and minutes have been wildly inconsistent, even with Brandon Rush recovering from an ACL, because he plays on a team with Curry, Thompson and Lee to an extent, who all want to shoot-first, pass-second, and Mark Jackson took some time to figure out his rotation.

While he doesn’t show an explosive first step, I can’t help but think a lot of that is Barnes’ tendency to think before he acts, rather than a physical deficiency or hole in his skill-set. We’ve seen Barnes make a number of decisive drives and blow by his initial defender, but only when the situations demands it.

So while it’s great that he’s being called upon with Lee out, and he’s getting more looks in this series, I’m still not convinced his falling to 7th was a good thing for Barnes, although certainly it has been for the Warriors.

In the short-term Barnes will benefit from playoff experience and being on a winning team, but he might start to chafe at the restrictions placed on him playing alongside Thompson/Curry on the perimeter, and it could ultimately hurt his growth into a potential superstar if he can’t either convince Jackson that he should be featured more prominently, or get out of Golden State.

In my opinion, there were plenty of places which were better for Barnes to go in terms of his development and opportunity.

Charlotte was the logical place for Barnes to end up in my mind, he’s a UNC guy, he’s the scorer MKG isn’t and he’s very marketable with his skill-set and mature manner when speaking to the press.

Washington also made a LOT of sense, he’d be the first option offensively and allow Wall to continue to concentrate on his play-making and PG responsibilities, plus he has the size and quickness to guard 2s or 3s, he’d space the floor for Wall and provide outside shooting.

In Cleveland he’d be able to form a formidable core with Kyrie – who is one of his best friends – a different Thompson and whoever they land in this year’s draft (McLemore, Oladipo, KCP or Noel would have been perfect). Plus, he’d benefit from being a second option whilst also playing with a young star in Irving.

Hell, even Sacramento would have been a great fit.

Still, what’s done is done, so hopefully Barnes will be able to succeed long-term in Golden State, but I’m just not sure if Thompson and Barnes can co-exist for more than a few seasons, especially when it comes time to decide who’s going to get paid.

Oh, and by the way, I’m a HUGE Barnes fan if you didn’t already know and I’m glad Jackson has been almost forced to play him extended minutes so that he can get more scoring opportunities and demonstrate his value on the big stage.

[SpacegrassParticipant]

GSW should use Barnes a bit like Phoenix used Marion , playing both the 3&4.

[M.GarveyParticipant]

I see a lot of Richard Jefferson in his Nets days, he’s best as a #3 or #2 Option

[B-ball fanParticipant]

Golden State is a great fit because defenses key in to stop the scoring of Curry and Thompson, giving Barnes tons of openings. Denver helps off him a lot. I have been impressed by Barnes ability to muscle his way into the lane, but I do think he should attack the rim more decisively sometimes.

[CavFanPRParticipant]

Golden State is the best possible situation for him. He can’t create his own shot so being surrounded by guards that can create for themselves and others is the perfect scenerio for him. He’s shown to be a good defender at times.

[Sewok15Participant]

He has flourished with David Lee out. He has played a lot of undersized 4 were he is able to utilize his quickness to get to the basket and also get more open looks from deep. He will have to transition back to 3 next season when Lee comes back but this run is certainly helping his confidence. Playing with Curry and Thompson he is going to get good looks no matter what position he is playing so I would certainly look for him to be a top 5 player from the 2012 draft class which is where a lot of people projected him to begin with.

I would rather have Davis, Drummond and Lillard for sure but I would put him right behind them in the next group with Beal and Waiters.

[sheltwon3Participant]

I think Barnes also went to a good place because he went to a playoff team and a team that values defense. Barnes second contract is going to look very good. I am sure Mark will use him more his 2nd year. Barnes plays the game smart and does not force things and long term, those are key things to a successful basketball player. His numbers may have been better elsewhere but the skills and exp playing with other talented players will be key long term and his short term is getting to shine in the playoffs.

[HitsterParticipant]

Barnes took time to find his feet in the NBA and did not have to become a go to guy, he can use his ability to turn himself almost into an intangibles type player but will get more shots in due course. Also being on a winning team will not have done him any harm as he’s getting play off experience well before a lot of his 2012 rookie class will.

[Author]

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