Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 participant opinions! The sequence will take a look at the gamers who completed the season with the San Antonio Spurs on assured contracts and who performed consequential minutes and/or an important function (so no two-way gamers as a result of we hardly noticed them this 12 months, no gamers who have been traded away, and not one of the deep bench facilities, since they have been each irrelevant and at the moment are all gone).
2025-26 stats: 77 video games, 25.8 MPG, 9.9 factors, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 38.8 3FG%, 4.6 3PA
Contract Standing: 1 12 months, $8 million remaining (no choices)
Barnes got here into his second season in San Antonio entrenched as a starter and, initially, proved he deserved his spot. He began the season effectively, posting spectacular numbers in October and November for a Spurs crew that proved extra able to win than anticipated, even because it battled accidents. Earlier than his inexplicable December-January hunch, Barnes was taking pictures 42 p.c from past the arc and incomes reward on each broadcast as a result of each three-pointer he took regarded prefer it was entering into. He was additionally doing the issues anticipated of him exterior his important function as a floor-spacer adequately, however the taking pictures was his important contribution.
Then December got here, and because the days glided by, Barnes began to look fallible from exterior and never as springy on his drives and on protection. As the brand new 12 months got here in, Barnes was unrecognizable as a shooter, which made the final mediocrity of his different contributions stand out. His subpar rebounding for the place specifically was uncovered by Julian Champagnie, who put an emphasis on cleansing the glass and was a extra dynamic shooter as well. Barnes was demoted to the bench, his function declined, and the Spurs may need thought-about transferring on from him, utilizing his expiring contract to get an improve on the deadline, if not for the cap constraints including wage would have represented this summer time.
Ultimately, Barnes regained his earlier kind as a shooter, however by that time issues had modified. Champagnie as a starter made it tougher for opponents to place a middle on Wembanyama, one thing that occurred even when Barnes was hitting photographs persistently. Keldon Johnson was slowing down a bit however was nonetheless on a Sixth Man of the 12 months run. Carter Bryant was nonetheless getting minutes, and by that time beginning to really deserve them. Extra importantly, the Spurs have been dominating opponents on each ends with their new beginning unit and rotation, destroying groups on their solution to the second seed within the West.
Barnes didn’t have a big function within the playoffs as soon as San Antonio acquired there and didn’t make a lot of an impression on his restricted minutes regardless of the occasional good stint. In the long run, he was a serviceable backup who all the time stayed able to play and was a constructive locker room presence.
In a means, Harrison Barnes’ function change is the right illustration of the shift in expectations for the 2025/26 Spurs. The veteran ahead was a wonderfully high-quality placeholder for a crew that in all probability went into the season with playoff aspirations, however as soon as it turned apparent that San Antonio was able to contend, the margins began to matter and streamlining the rotation turned a necessity.
The teaching workers did that final season and the entrance workplace acquired an improve this summer time, so why is Barnes nonetheless in San Antonio? There appear to be many causes. First, Barnes proved to be a consummate skilled after arriving from Sacramento, on the court docket, within the locker room, and as a citizen. He persistently made charitable donations since his arrival within the metropolis. His quiet management was seemingly useful to a really younger roster crammed with high-profile lottery picks, a standing Barnes as soon as possessed. He proved to be extraordinarily sturdy and all the time desirous to play, by no means complaining about his function. It’s not a shock the Spurs have been keen to deliver him again on a small deal, regardless that they’ve too many forwards on their roster now.
The opposite purpose is that Barnes can nonetheless play. He struggled in a tiny function within the postseason however completed the common season averaging 39 p.c from past the arc regardless of taking pictures below 30 p.c for a complete month. He’s neither a bruiser who can guard larger gamers and rebound nor a ball handler who provides secondary creation, however he is aware of his function and tries his hardest on protection. Because the months handed final 12 months, he wasn’t as efficient utilizing the change of tempo on his drives to create room to complete on the rim, however he’s a artful participant. There are a lot worse choices as damage insurance coverage and as a depth piece in case of a commerce that depletes the ahead rotation.
Barnes is also commerce bait himself on his expiring contract, and it wouldn’t be stunning to see him depart San Antonio subsequent summer time, until he takes the minimal, because the crew will get costlier. If he does, he’ll nonetheless be a hit story, contemplating how productive he was and the truth that the Spurs have been paid to amass him. For now, he’s nonetheless on the roster, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get some minutes when Mitch Johnson wants taking pictures.
December 2 vs. Memphis Grizzlies: 31 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 7-12 3PFG
Six of Barnes’ seven video games scoring 20 factors or extra occurred between November and December, as he regarded spry and lethal from past the arc. In his greatest sport of the season, he helped a Spurs crew lacking Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Fort take down the Grizzlies. The early stretch wherein Wemby was out however San Antonio stored successful proved that that they had a powerful roster and never only a famous person, and Barnes was an enormous a part of conserving the crew afloat throughout that point.
Up subsequent: Julian Champagnie
