Lakers Rumors: Matt Barnes Needs to Prove He Deserves Minutes

Considering the various problems the Los Angeles Lakers encountered in their first three games, the plight of Matt Barnes just doesn't seem all that important.

Then again, what exactly is Matt Barnes' plight? Whatever it is, it's kept him on the bench for all but 14 minutes in the early part of this season.

The good news is that, according to the Los Angeles Times, Barnes is healthy. He's listed as having bursitis in his left hip, but Barnes insisted after Tuesday night's blowout of the Utah Jazz that he's just fine.

The sentence in the Times report that catches one's eye is this: "He didn't publicly comment after that, perhaps not wanting to be seen as complaining about a lack of playing time."

Hmmm...

It would be a stretch to say that Barnes is in Mike Brown's dog house. The reason for his lack of playing time seems to be much simpler—and much less controversial.

Put simply, Brown has better options to go to at small forward. Devin Ebanks has performed pretty well as the team's starting small forward, and Metta World Peace has been very effective coming off the bench, particularly in the Lakers' last two games.

The 14 minutes Barnes did get to play against the Sacramento Kings on Monday were a mixed bag. He scored four points and had three rebounds and three blocks, but he also committed three fouls and a turnover. That's more mistakes than Brown or anyone else would like to see in a 14-minute window.

The fouls are the big concern, and they're unfortunately par for the course as far as Barnes is concerned. The energy that he brings when he's on the floor is all well and good, but he doesn't quite know how to control it. He's a loose cannon.

There's a way Barnes can earn consistent minutes, and the first step is just to tone it down a little. Nobody has ever faulted Barnes for playing energetic and aggressive basketball, but he needs to play smart basketball. The Lakers have enough weak links as it is. 

Right now, Barnes is a weak link. What sets him apart is the fact that stashing him on the bench does not hurt the team. 

The only way Barnes can reverse his fortune is by helping the team.