Harrison Barnes may well have lost his starting job for the Golden State Warriors as something of a victim of circumstance. The good news is that’s not really a concern to him.
Barnes sat in favor of Andre Iguodala’s defensive prowess during Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder, and with a matchup with LeBron James looming, it stands to reason that the same thing could happen to Barnes when the Finals kick off Thursday. Does that bother him? Not really.
“It’s not necessarily about starting or coming off the bench or anything like that,” Barnes told 95.7 The Game’s “The Damon Bruce Show” on Tuesday, via ESPN. “I’m going to be ready to play Game 1 of the Finals whether I play 20 minutes off the bench or start and play 35, whatever it is. I’m going to do my job because … there is no better feeling than hoisting that championship trophy. That’s what we’re in it for.
“We’ve seen this happen before. Guys have to sacrifice with the playoffs. I don’t think anyone had any issues with it.”
This is part of why the Warriors are so successful. Some players would probably be extremely upset to lose their starting role on the eve of the NBA Finals, but Barnes isn’t one of them.
Earlier this season, Golden State was reportedly disenchanted with Barnes, but by all accounts he’s in good stead with the staff and players. This is just a move to ensure that Iguodala spends as much time defending James as possible.
