Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Surviving Kevin Durant Injury
4. Matt Barnes Exceeding Expectations
In the wake of the Kevin Durant injury, the Warriors decided to sign swingman Matt Barnes, who had been waived by the Sacramento Kings a few days earlier.
Barnes returns to a franchise where he was once beloved as a member of the “We Believe” Warriors team that upset the No. 1-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, but he’ll definitely have his work cut out for him trying to fill in for Durant.
You can be guaranteed this team will have enough attitude between him and Draymond Green, but what can be expected of Barnes specifically?
Sources tell Haynes and me that the Warriors plan to sign Jose Calderon as they promised but then waive him to make room for Matt Barnes.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 1, 2017
During his 14-year career, Barnes has played for 10 different NBA franchises, including all four California teams. He’s compiled career averages of 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game during that time, and the Warriors will rely on him to supply gritty defense, rebounding, toughness and, hopefully, some respectable three-point shooting.
Barnes is only a career 33.5 percent shooter from downtown and was shooting 32.7 percent from deep this season in Sacramento. But the last time he played with a winning team — the Los Angeles Clippers just two years ago — he capitalized on the open looks he got, converting 36.2 percent of his attempts from three-point range.
Barnes obviously isn’t going to replace Kevin Durant’s scoring (25.3 PPG), his three-point efficiency (37.3 percent) or his defensive versatility, but if Steve Kerr wants to maintain Andre Iguodala‘s minutes and keep him as a sixth man, Barnes very well could be called upon as the team’s new starting small forward.