Harrison Barnes Beginning to Thrive Back in Starting Role for Warriors

From the Splash Brothers' continued brilliance to Draymond Green's success filling in for the injured David Lee, the Golden State Warriors have had plenty of heroes en route to their impressive 7-2 start under new head coach Steve Kerr.

But after Saturday night's 112-87 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, the time has come to celebrate a less-heralded contributor. 

Harrison Barnes tallied 17 points and four rebounds against the Hornets, marking his fourth consecutive game scoring in double figures. The North Carolina product posted a season-high 22 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. The standout performances are becoming something of a trend.

"He's just a really good player and very comfortable and confident, and he's playing well," Kerr told reporters during CSN Bay Area's postgame coverage. "What I like about Harrison, and I know that the focus is on our offense, but his defense has been great.

"He's so strong and quick, and he can guard four positions. That's, I think, the way the league has trended the last few years...We have a very versatile team and Harrison represents that."

Kerr wasn't the only one who took notice on Saturday.

After coming off a season that in some ways represented a step back, the 22-year-old's flashes of upside couldn't come at a better time.

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He started 81 games and made 43.9 percent of his field-goal attempts as a rookie but only started 24 games during his sophomore campaign after the organization acquired the more veteran Andre Iguodala. In turn, Barnes struggled to find a rhythm, and that promising success rate from the field sank to just 39.9 percent.

Though his 2014-15 sample size remains limited, Barnes has made the most of reclaiming his starting gig under Kerr. Thus far, he's making an absurd 54.5 percent of his shots.

That number will come down to earth, but it's still very possible the third-year veteran embarks upon a breakout season. He's earning his minutes while establishing himself as the kind of complementary player who won't take too many touches away from premier guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

"We run a few plays for him but not many," Kerr added after the game. "The whole point of our offensive is we shouldn't have to call plays for certain people."

Barnes can make an impact without dominating the basketball. He's a dangerous finisher in transition, a strong cutter and a steady spot-up shooter. And those are all things he can do while allowing Curry and Thompson to make things happen with the ball in their hands.

While Barnes' fit with the starting unit has been encouraging, it isn't the only reason for the new rotation.

The hope is that Iguodala also benefits from the opportunity to run the offense as a sixth man.

"I want him to handle the ball quite a bit," Kerr recently told reporters. "Part of the reason that we're bringing him off the bench is that he tends to get lost with the starting group, because Steph and Klay have the ball constantly.

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"I think Andre is at his best when he has the ball in his hands. I want him initiating the offense, and I think in the preseason, he was in a great groove in that role."

That groove has subsequently proven elusive, making Barnes' contributions all the more welcome.

Iguodala has scored in double figures just once this season, and he's only making 36.5 percent of his field-goal attempts. Though nine games, he's averaging just 5.3 points, three rebounds and 2.9 assists in 28.5 minutes per contest.

Though Iguodala was able to dominate the ball during preseason stretches, reserve guard Shaun Livington's return from injury means another ball-handler in the second unit. Iggy may still be attempting to adjust.

He's still doing some important things, especially on the defensive end. But he certainly isn't making Kerr think twice about Barnes' increased responsibilities.

Nor is Barnes.

He said he's heeding Kerr's recommendation that he adopt a more aggressive approach.

"That’s something I took to heart," Barnes told reporters this week. "When you move and you have great shooters out there, you just fall into baskets. Whether it's Andrew Bogut hitting you on a cut or Steph coming off a pick-and-roll and hitting you for a wide-open three, when we're moving the ball like that, it's easy to get great shots."

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Barnes seems to be feeding off that chemistry more than ever.

For the first time in his career, he's contributing more points per 100 possessions than would an average replacement. According to Basketball-Reference, his offensive box plus/minus currently sits at 0.4—a marked improvement over last season's -2.2 mark.

Maybe it's renewed confidence. Maybe it's the skill development you'd expect from a former No. 7 draft pick coming into his own.

Either way, the status quo appears to be working—at least for Barnes. And while Iguodala's transition to the second unit hasn't gone as smoothly just yet, the 30-year-old seems committed to making it work.

"I've been in the league for a really long time, and there a lot of stories about anything and little things," Iguodala told reporters in October. "If my shoes are tied the wrong way, that can become a story. I'm trying not to make [coming off the bench] a story this year, and I'm trying to win a championship."

And by the looks of things, Harrison Barnes just might help him do it.