Harrison Barnes has had lofty expectations since he graduated from high school in 2010, unfortunately, he has been unable to live up to those expectations in the NBA. Since being drafted seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2012 NBA Draft, Barnes has had trouble staying consistent on the floor.
With a new coach implementing a new system in Golden State, this could be an opportunity for Barnes to grow as a player and expand his role next season. The Warriors need Barnes to improve if they want to have a shot at contending for a title and according to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group, Barnes is focusing on his ball handling skills this off-season:
How does he plan to get better on offense? During a Facebook Q&A last week in which he conceded his game was “a long ways from where it needs to be,” Barnes revealed the major improvement he needed to make. “My handle needs the most work,” Barnes wrote.
Barnes has the size to perform well around the rim, so he must be able to handle the ball well through traffic. If Barnes could improve his field goal percentage and become a more effective slasher, his numbers will improve. The Warriors need him to become more of an offensive threat to complement Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
Barnes averaged 9.5 points per game last season, but only shot 39 percent from the field. One thing that must be taken into account is that Barnes just turned 22 years old, so he still has a lot of learning and growing to do. The Warriors are hoping Barnes is able to mature and reach his potential and it starts by putting in the work in the off-season.