How the Golden State Warriors Can Get the Most from Their Small Forwards
The Golden State Warriors have gotten out to an 8-2 start this season under new head coach Steve Kerr, with every position firing on all cylinders except one: small forward. The Harrison Barnes-vs.-Andre Iguodala quandary has limited the production of both players.
The team is succeeding with the new triangle-infused offense that caters to spacing and ball movement. The Warriors are passing the ball like it's going out of style, which makes for an NBA-leading 102.2 Pace Factor (number of possessions a team uses per game).
The Jekyll-and-Hyde relationship has not accelerated the development or careers of either player. The starter has succeeded, while the one pushed to the sixth-man position has struggled.
Last season, Barnes had his starting gig taken away from him by new arrival Iguodala. Barnes labored throughout the season by making just 39.9 percent of his shots.
Iguodala enjoyed success last season by hitting key shots and setting up his teammates. He also earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors.
But since they have switched roles from last season, Barnes is enjoying more success than Iguodala. Now we ask what Coach Kerr can do to maximize both players’ abilities.
Harrison Barnes
Barnes is in his third season as a Warrior and is looking to take his career to the next level. He is enjoying some early success this year with five straight games scoring in double digits.
As Rusty Simmons from the San Francisco Chronicle reported, Barnes believes he is playing more aggressively and providing support alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson:
"That’s something I took to heart. When you move and you have great shooters out there, you just fall into baskets. Whether its 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.
"
Barnes has taken advantage of the spacing and has been a lot more prolific from behind the arc. He has hit at least one three-pointer in eight of 10 games this season.
On top of that, Barnes is shooting a cool 48.1 percent from three-point land (13-27), compared to a career average of only 36.2 percent.
He is evolving from a disappointing run last season during which he looked completely lost coming off the bench. Yes, he had his share of starts because of Iguodala’s hamstring injury, but Barnes never turned it on after a breakout playoff series versus the San Antonio Spurs in 2013.
The biggest problem was lack of bench support, meaning that the team didn’t have a backup point guard to lead the second unit or create opportunities. He didn't receive much support from former coach Mark Jackson, as he was pushed into isolation plays and posting up.
This season has been a slow growth and a confidence-builder once Barnes earned the starting gig and the trust of Coach Kerr. He has not been the go-to option yet but is starting to consistently hit his jumpers.
Barnes is shooting 57.8 percent from the field in the month of November, which is a major improvement from shooting below 40 percent last season. The longer he continues this pattern, the more his teammates should rely on him.
His current line is 11.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 1.5 APG, all career highs.
Management has faith in the development of Barnes, as they picked up its fourth-year option for him on October 30.
Andre Iguodala
On the other side of the coin is Iguodala, who has stated that he will accept the sixth-man position and run with it. He has had a roller-coaster ride of a season in which he has scored two points or less in four of 10 contests.
It is a tough adjustment for him, since he had started every game of his NBA career until this season. His initial thoughts are summed up in this tweet:
His mental approach might have changed since initially being told by Coach Kerr about the move, but the stat sheet has not been his friend.
Through November 17, Iguodala is averaging about five fewer minutes than last season, but his numbers are not comparable. His line from last season was 9.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 4.2 APG, while he is averaging only 5.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 2.7 APG so far this year.
What is worrisome is how he is passing up quality shot attempts and deferring to someone else. He is only putting up 5.8 attempts per game and is shooting a meek 39.7 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from behind the arc.
Iguodala needs to make the adjustment quickly and fight through this slump. The longer Draymond Green continues to play at such a high level, general manager Bob Myers will most likely have to trade a player to fit Green under next season's luxury-tax number.
Iguodala and David Lee will probably be the first two players discussed because of their higher salaries.
The faster Iguodala can adapt, the more likely he will be to stay on the team and help Golden State chase its title goal.
Moving Forward
Coach Kerr has a decision to make at the 3 position.
Does he go with the hot hand, the younger Barnes, and see the player develop? Or does he go with the steady Iguodala, who provides the ability to handle the ball and play defense and isn't afraid of sharing with his teammates?
The stats lean toward Iguodala landing the starting gig:
However, Kerr needs to find a way to maximize the total effectiveness of both players, which is to have Barnes on the floor to start the game and Iguodala as the sixth man.
Before the 113-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on November 11, per Simmons, “Kerr told Barnes to look for more shots.” Barnes had his best game of the year with 22 points and eight boards while shooting 75 percent from the field.
Barnes needs to continue to climb the ladder and focus on being consistent. His monster slams are nice and really pump up the crowd, but he can provide that steady influence for a team that has realistic title hopes.
As for Iguodala, Kerr wants to get him more involved in the offense when he plays small forward with the second team.
Kerr has a reason why he plays him where he currently does. Per Simmons:
"I want him to handle the ball quite a bit. 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. 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.
"
Iguodala will need to adapt to a backup role and do whatever is asked of him by Kerr. He needs to create a lot more and not be afraid to shoot.
Per Simmons, “whether coming off the bench or moving back into the starting lineup, Kerr said he wants Iguodala to be aggressive on offense and show the defensive skills that made his name in the NBA.”
He did average double-digit points in every season except his rookie year before joining the Warriors. Kerr will need him to be more determined if Iguodala wants to succeed.
A blossoming Barnes and a do-everything Iguodala functioning at their best will definitely patch up any holes left at the small forward spot. If both can co-exist in their current roles, the Warriors will have a better shot at making a realistic title run.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
