Harrison Barnes: Starter Or Reserve

[jonathanlambert33]

The acquisition of Andre Iguodala during the 2013 offseason means the Golden State Warriors will have to decide whether Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes will start alongside him.

Barness breakout performance during the 2013 playoffs turned him into a fan favorite and consequently some feel as though he should get the nod in the Dubs opening five-man unit.

There is clearly some validity to starting Barnes with Iguodala, mind you using the postseason as evidence is misleading. The former Tar Heels role changed during the playoffs because of David Lees injury.

Barnes became a small-ball power forward and saw his game take off from there given the multiple favorable matchups at his disposal. The 2012-13 regular season offered a different level of production given that he faced players at his position.

The former UNC player produced 9.2 points per game on 43.9 percent field goal shooting in his first year in Golden State. Barnes struggled with creating high-percentage shots and had a few problems blending his skills with those of his teammates.

Read More:
http://www.warriorsworld.net/2013/07/21/harrison-barnes-starter-or-reserve/

 

[bosoxlover12]

I think Klay should be the 6th man; he can provide more of a spark than Barnes imo

 

[dez]

I agree, Klay and Steph are a dynamic backcourt, but the versatility they'll have with Iggy and Harrison at the wings beats out a Steph/Klay backcourt..
 
and like bosox said, Klay fits that goto scorer role off the bench really well..
 
Its a great problem to have lol

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I also think Klay is better suited for a off the bench roll.  Maximize his offense and minimize his lack of defense.

 

[BwareDWare94]

I didn't watch a ton of Warrior games last year, but from what I could tell, Klay is really inconsistent. Why not let him come off the bench and if he's hitting, he's hitting, but if he's off, he's off the court? That's the perspective needed to pull him out of the starting lineup, anyway.
 
And while he doesn't always play defense, wasn't he locking somebody down in the playoffs? I'm trying to remember.
 
BUT, imo you don't derail his progress with less minutes, and Iggy is the kind of team player who'd come off the bench.