Kings have lowered a key statistic since trading for Harrison Barnes; see where they rate
Harrison Barnes has made an unmistakable impact at the defensive end of the floor since the Kings acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks on the eve of the NBA trade deadline.
Barnes is still trying to find a rhythm in one of the fastest offenses the NBA has seen, but he knew scoring wasn’t what the Kings needed most when he came to Sacramento to help the team make a playoff push.
Instead, he’s getting down in a defensive stance. He’s talking to his teammates. He’s maintaining good position, moving his feet and switching seamlessly from one elite scorer to the next, doing the dirty work that could help the Kings end the league’s longest postseason drought.
“Scoring is not really an issue for us,” Barnes said. “Defense is, though.”
The Kings (31-31) are 18th in the NBA in defensive rating going into Monday night’s game against the New York Knicks (13-50) at Golden 1 Center, allowing 109.9 points per 100 possessions. They were 26th in November and 22nd in December. In eight games since Barnes arrived, Sacramento is fifth in defensive rating, holding opponents to 106.9 points per 100 possessions despite facing four of the best teams in the league — and six of the 14 highest-scoring offenses — over that stretch.
The Kings have lost five of their last six in what might have been the most daunting portion of their schedule. They are three games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference, but with the NBA’s fastest-paced offense, an improving defense and a more favorable upcoming schedule, they still have a chance to make their first postseason appearance since 2006.
Barnes is already playing a major role, but instead of trying to assert himself offensively, he’s unselfishly emphasizing his defensive effort, an approach that has not gone unnoticed among teammates.
“That’s the mindset of a champion,” Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic said.
Barnes possesses the size, strength, length and skill set to toggle between small forward and power forward at both ends of the floor, giving the Kings a dimension they haven’t had in years, particularly on defense. Iman Shumpert was intense and energetic, but he was undersized. Justin Jackson was a little too lanky and inexperienced.
At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Barnes is proving to be the right man for the job. He has drawn some of the toughest defensive assignments for the Kings, matching up with elite scorers such as the Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paul George and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins. In a 141-140 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, Barnes switched between two All-Stars, MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
“It’s hard to beat teams when you give up 141,” Barnes said. “I think that’s where I’m trying to make the biggest impact, just trying to go out there and guard, help guys defensively, and go from there.”
Durant made just 1 of 5 from 3-point range against the Kings. George was held to 14 points on 4-of-19 shooting. Wiggins scored eight points on 3-of-10 shooting. Middleton scored 21 points but made just 8 of 20 field-goal attempts and 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.
“(Barnes) has done a terrific job,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. “He’s had some tough matchups — Paul George, Kevin Durant; I thought he did a good job on Wiggins the other night. And sometimes when you expend that much energy defensively, it can take its toll at the offensive end, but he’s starting to find a rhythm now, I think, being comfortable with our guys.”
Barnes averaged 18.7 points in two-plus seasons in Dallas, where the Mavericks relied on him to be their leading scorer. He’s averaging 11.5 points and shooting 36.8 percent with the Kings, but he scored 15 points in each of the past two games, making 11 of 21 field-goal attempts and 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
“He’s been huge for us (defensively), just being able to play bigger wings and (power forwards) tough,” Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “When he’s making shots, I think it adds a whole other dynamic to our team.”
Barnes said his new teammates have made him feel right at home.
“I think from a comfort standpoint, I feel great,” he said. “From a fit standpoint, I’ve come in from Day 1 and been able to play with this group, and it hasn’t been an issue for me at all. So for me, my focus is entirely on doing whatever I can to help this group get to the playoffs.”
Barnes is in the third year of a four-year, $94.4 million contract. He has a player option for 2019-20, meaning he could opt in for $25.1 million next season, opt out to become a free agent or negotiate a long-term extension.
Shortly after pulling the trigger on the trade that brought Barnes to Sacramento, Kings general manager Vlade Divac said he wanted to keep Barnes for years to come. Barnes sounds like he’s open to that possibility.
“As far as the option and being here long term and all that type of stuff, I’m confident that will work itself out, but right now I just enjoy being here with this group,” Barnes said. “Everything here has been great, from coach to the players to the front office to the fans. It’s been a super warm reception. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been great and hopefully we can cap it off with a postseason berth.”
