Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 6 vs. Cavaliers
5. Barnes Is Killing The Dubs
Remember after Game 4 of the NBA Finals? When Harrison Barnes was a damn near hero in the Bay Area after averaging 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in the two Cleveland contests and supplied the dagger three-pointer to put away Game 4?
My, how quickly things can change.
Through the first four games of this series, Barnes was averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on excellent .513/.429/.667 shooting splits. In the two games since, his numbers have plummeted to 2.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game on a putrid 2-of-22 shooting from the floor and 1-of-11 shooting from three-point range, with many of those attempts being wide open.
Harrison Barnes' shot chart over last 2 games. 1/9 at the rim. 1/11 on 3-pointers, most of which were WIDE ASS open pic.twitter.com/DKkevYK042
— mhonkasalo (@mhonkasalo) June 17, 2016
In Game 4, Barnes reached what the Warriors are hoping is rock bottom, going 0-for-8 from the field for zero points. You know those open looks Golden State used to punish opponents for giving up in their efforts to contain Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson? Barnes bricked them all Thursday night.
The Warriors’ Death Lineup is at its most dangerous when Barnes is making defenses pay for giving him openings. It’s at its most vulnerable when he’s a complete non-factor who can be completely ignored like he was in Game 6.
No matter what, Barnes is going to get paid this summer. But in order to keep Cleveland’s defense honest, “Playoff Harry B” is going to have to make some kind of triumphant return against all odds in Game 7.
Next: No. 4