“I love Harrison,” Steve Kerr said at the pregame of Warriors-Spurs in San Antonio at AT&T Stadium — I mean, Frost Bank Center — last night.
We love him, too, Steve!
Well, the very few OGs of DubNation who frequent social media anymore. For whatever reason, the Harrison Barnes video I put up this morning only got a few hundred views 🤷🏻♂️ so I’ve since changed the title to something Kerr said about Jonathan Kuminga.
Anyways, HB deserves his flowers. Funny stat I noticed last night while praising him: he’s gonna make more money than Klay Thompson, both this year and next year ($18 and $19 million compared to $17-ish for Klay). Now, obviously they became free agents separately in different years, so that stat is actually loaded with asterisks, but factually and for fun only, who would’ve ever thunk HB would make more than KT in any given year?
And what a game Barnes had last night. He was the most consistent baller between him, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
“Senator Barnes,” as my colleague Monte Poole of NBCSBA used to say on the regular, even got political (basketball-wise) on the podium and changed the subject to the Spurs when asked about one-upping his old teammates Steph and Dray — I didn’t post that one on the channel because, in true Senator Barnes fashion, he really didn’t say anything that interesting and it was your typical HB podium snoozefest.
But 22-8-2 on 7/8 shooting, 2/3 on threes and 6/8 from the line. That’s freakin’ efficient, and it was his third straight 20-point output in consecutive games for the Spurs, all wins (vs. UTA, OKC and GSW). In that stretch, he’s 21-for-34 from the field, 9-for-15 on treys, has 26 rebounds (8.7 rpg) with zero turnovers in 32, 36, and 32 minutes played. In essence, probably out-playing by a little bit that $18 million contract. (Whether guys are playing above or below market value is a key skill to understand, to not get stuck in hot-take casual quagmires, fyi.)
It bears repeating the obvious: HB was critical to the so-called “Death Lineup” small-ball unit back in the day, especially when the Dubs started Andre Iguodala in place of Andrew Bogut to notch that first ring in 2015.
“He kind of unlocked a lot of lineups for us just by being able to guard across the board,” Kerr said. “Switch and guard guards, but also had the strength to guard big guys down low.”
As Steve said pregame in New Orleans, “We were No. 1 in the league in pace (in the early years). I believe that same pace this year would be 20th in the league or something,” when a reporter asked if there should be fewer than 82 games in the NBA regular season due to all the injuries across the board.
“Back then you played the game in a very small circumference. Now it’s a huge, big wide circle and you’ve gotta cover the entire court. Everyone is playing faster. So we’re getting more sprints, more up and down. I saw a graph today where players are covering dramatically more ground now than 20 years ago,” Steve added.
And there go Harrison in that widened circumference, quietly humming along at age 32, under-the-radar. Warriors fans owe him a debt of gratitude, the way Kerr gushed about him:
I love Harrison, one of my all time favorite players. Just incredibly professional, was such an instrumental part of our run. When this thing got started, he was right in the middle of it and just a wonderful human being and a hell of a player. He kind of unlocked a lot of lineups for us just by being able to guard across the board, switch and guard guards, but also had the strength to guard big guys down low. And so I always love — I’ve been looking forward to seeing Harrison, since back in the day when we were together. We’ve kept in touch and looking forward to seeing him tonight.
Full transcripts from San Antonio and NOLA below, as they both are packed with information, as most pregames are, for the most diehard fans in DubNation…
00:00 Gary and Draymond, do you know the status on those guys?
00:03 STEVE KERR (PREGAME): I expect them all to play, but they’ll go warm up and see how they’re feeling.
00:07 Provided everybody plays, same starters?
00:09 Yeah.
00:10 Last night, you tried different groups to close. What are you looking for out of your closing group? Are you still looking for a consistent closing group or is it, “Okay, game by game” situation right now?
00:21 Last night it was offense-defense. Yeah. We were just going back and forth, trying to protect the lead and obviously didn’t do a great job of that. We were fortunate to escape, but you always want one group to really establish itself. But if it doesn’t happen that way, we’ve got a lot of options and we’ll figure it out.
00:42 A lot of ball screen actions for JK last night. What are you seeing from him as a pick-and-roll ball-handler?
00:47 I mean, getting JK downhill with the ball is always a good option. He’s explosive. He did a really good job, kind of carrying that group late in the third quarter. And it’s something we’ve been doing now for the last couple of years and we’ll continue with it.
01:05 Yeah, what kind of comfort are you seeing with him reading the floor, attacking, kicking, in those situations?
01:10 I think that’s his most comfortable spot on the floor. It’s with the ball in his hands at the top of the key with everything in front of him, attacking, using his force, his athleticism. And so he’s doing a great job with it.
01:28 Obviously, back here in San Antonio. Pop not on the sideline tonight. Just what has the last couple weeks been like, just knowing what he’s going through and just what kind of reflection have you done on your relationship and just friendship with him?
01:41 Yeah, I mean, he means the world to me. and, it’s obviously tough to know that he’s going through this medical situation and think about him all the time. And we’ve been in touch. And we’ll just keep communicating and I know he’s gonna, be well. He’s gonna get well and the doctors are feeling great about all of that. So, very happy about that, but it’s always tough to see someone you love who’s not healthy.
02:19 What did you learn about Mitch Johnson with your time with him on Team USA?
02:23 Mitch is really smart, great teammate in the coaches room. He was a big part of all of our conversations, pre-and post-practice. He’s a really, really good coach, good guy. I know Pop loves him, feels very strongly what a good coach he is. And that’s what I saw in Las Vegas.
02:46 Do you have a better defense for Victor this time than the last time you saw him?
02:50 I’m sorry?
02:50 Do you have a better defense for Victor this time?
02:53 Yeah, he was something in Paris, that last game. So, we know we got our hands full. He’s been hot lately and it’s not a lot of coverages to create for a guy like that.
03:08 You had so much to appreciate in that game, whether it was Steph, LeBron, whatever. Did you find yourself kind of marveling at the next guy to that night?
03:16 Yeah, I mean, I was just thankful that I wasn’t going to have to coach in the Olympics again after that night, so that was the main feeling I had.
03:27 Is there any part of his game from that game or the beginning of this season that you’ve noticed different from his rookie campaign, maybe makes him a little tougher to guard now, or is he just progressing?
03:36 I mean, just the natural progression of strength and confidence. I haven’t watched him closely enough to really tell you. I could probably give you a better answer after tonight’s game. But just watching some tape today, preparing for tonight, he looks really confident and he should be. He’s pretty damn good.
03:57 You had Harrison Barnes as a very young player. He’s a kind of a grizzled vet now, but what did he mean to those early teams?
04:03 I love Harrison, one of my all time favorite players. Just incredibly professional, was such an instrumental part of our run. When this thing got started, he was right in the middle of it and just a wonderful human being and a hell of a player. He kind of unlocked a lot of lineups for us just by being able to guard across the board, switch and guard guards, but also had the strength to guard big guys down low. And so I always love — I’ve been looking forward to seeing Harrison, since back in the day when we were together. We’ve kept in touch and looking forward to seeing him tonight.
04:47 You had Chris Paul for one year last year. Do you see him as sort of like a perfect fit for this team over here that just needs somebody to teach them how to win?
04:56 Yeah, I mean, pick-and-roll with Chris and Wembanyama is pretty tough to handle and Chris was a joy to coach last year. Just the ultimate professional, his preparation on a daily basis, his leadership, it was all so obvious to see. When you coach someone like that, you sort of realize, “Okay, this is why he’s been so good. This is why he’s had the career he’s had.” So I felt that way with Chris last year, felt that way in the Olympics this summer with all those guys. It’s really fun to see guys up close and see them for what they are. And that’s how I felt about Chris. Thanks.
05:41 What happened the last 14 minutes? Was that just fatigue, Wembanyama — ?
05:45 STEVE KERR (POSTGAME): Well, number one, the Spurs were great. They were so good in that fourth quarter, defensively flying around. I thought the way that the third quarter ended was a killer. We had a 15-point lead and the ball with 35 seconds, so we’re going to get a two-for-one and hopefully go up 17 going into the fourth. And they — we get a turnover and then they score five in a row. So 10-point game going into the fourth. That was a key moment, momentum-wise. And I thought they earned it, the Spurs did with finishing the quarter like they did and then dominating the fourth. They were fantastic.
06:24 How impactful was Victor’s defense?
06:27 Yeah, yeah, he was amazing, blocking shots and thwarting others, just being a presence in the paint. It was an impressive performance by him and by the whole team, defensively.
06:42 I mean, this was your third game in four nights, tough travel. Did you sense some fatigue?
06:46 We ran out of gas that fourth quarter, but this is part of the NBA and we have to learn how to execute under pressure when we’re tired. And we didn’t do that tonight, but we’ll get better.
06:57 JK, late scratch. How’s he doing? Is this anything?
07:00 I think he’s fine. He just felt sick right before the game.
07:04 And then what can you take away from a game like this, these two days, just how frenetic everything was?
07:10 We keep on keeping on. You just move forward. It’s been a great start to the season, disappointing loss ’cause we had control of the game mid-3rd and it felt like we were about to break it open, but we didn’t. And so you learn from it. You give the other guys credit ’cause they’re the main reason we lost. I mean, they, like I said, they were — the Spurs were fantastic and they earned it. And we’ve got to just bounce back. We’ll fly home tonight, hopefully get a little rest and back at it on Monday.
07:42 Thank you.
07:43 Okay. Thank you.
07:43 Appreciate it.
07:45 ANDREW WIGGINS: Where did you most feel their defense in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter?
07:51 They were just the aggressors the second half, especially the fourth quarter. Then they just played harder than us.
07:59 Yeah, Victor Wembanyama, what kind of impact did he have with his protection, defensively?
08:05 Huge impact. He’s tall, long, has good defensive instincts, but all of them were just playing hard, especially defensively.
08:17 Steve has talked about, throughout the course of the season, offensive execution and improving on that. Where do you feel like you guys are with offensive execution right now and where is there room to still improve?
08:26 Not all the way there yet. I feel like we’re still figuring some stuff out. Today would have been a perfect example, especially down the stretch, just executing, getting what we want, when we want it. But they made it hard on us.
08:41 Three games in four days, feeling some fatigue there, late in the game, team-wise?
08:45 Yeah, I’m sure everyone is, if not mentally, physically. If not physically, mentally, one of the other. But that’s the NBA. That’s basketball. We just gotta prioritize our rest and take care of our bodies and we’ll be all right.
09:00 What are you able to kind of take away from a loss like this, that you can apply moving forward?
09:05 When you’re up, you just gotta keep trying to push the lead. I feel we had a nice little cushion there, but we took our foot off the gas. Appreciate it, Wiggs.
09:18 So Trayce, what do you feel like changed in that second half, the last 14, 15 minutes?
09:26 TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: They were hitting shots. I feel like in our pick-and-roll coverage, they were getting downhill and then that was leading to over-helps and then spray-out, kick-out threes.
09:36 What challenges coming with guarding Victor?
09:39 I mean, he’s all 7’3″, 7’4″. Coach was talking before the game, you have to get up under him and he had some tough ones. But at the same time, just making it tough for him, trying to be physical with him without fouling. But yeah, he’s a tough guard. He played well.
09:57 He went 9-of-21. For the most part, you guys were able to, I mean, he got to the paint a little bit more in the second half, but for the most part, keep him away from the basket. Was that the game plan? Was that what you were trying to do?
10:06 Yeah, just keep him away from the basket, make everything tough when he catches it in the post. He’s going to score some, obviously. He’s a really good player. But just make it every contest or shot with a contest.
10:19 Yeah, three games in four nights. You head back home for a little bit. How eager are you to get back home?
10:23 Yeah we get a off day tomorrow, but then it’s right back to work. And so, this is the first week that we haven’t won. But we gotta get back to winning each week and so next week’s coming, we gotta be ready. Appreciate it. Thank you.
00:00 Steph was probable, is he good to go?
00:02 STEVE KERR: Should be good to go, yeah.
00:03 NBA Cup game, have a chance to move to 3-0 in the Cup. How do you kind of weigh the stakes of the Cup versus the bigger 82-game season?
00:13 Yeah, I mean, we want to win. I mean, we want to advance and this would be really helpful. At the same time, I’m not playing anybody 48 minutes because I got the big picture in mind. So we’ll keep relying on our depth and try to play as many people as possible and bring the defensive force that we need.
00:38 Given the absences New Orleans has tonight, what are the keys to making sure you’re avoiding a letdown?
00:44 Well, these are always the scariest games as a head coach when the other team’s missing a whole bunch of guys because you just worry about the letdown. And so you warn the guys, you insist on execution from the start. If we turn it over a couple times early, I’m taking a timeout. You can’t let your guard down. We’ve lost a lot of these games over the years. And we’ve won some as well, like on the flip side when we’ve had guys out. So it always feels like a dangerous spot.
01:12 Big picture, pretty sustained stretch now, success on the road. What are the keys to that kind of defense?
01:18 If you play good defense, you have a shot on the road. And our defense has been really good. Just a lot of us allowing us to stay in games and give ourselves a chance.
01:29 With regards to defense, significant improvement, obviously, in transition defense, but in the league, how did that come together? What is the process to building a transition defense that’s been that effective?
01:40 Well, we talked a lot about it preseason with the guys in camp. We looked at a lot of our crashing offensive rebounding stuff last year. We probably got undisciplined last year with the difference between offensive, good offensive rebounding opportunities and reckless ones. And I think we’ve found a better balance between our offensive rebounding and our sprint backs. And we are showing our guys the — we call them “stays” — stays when you’d neither crash the glass or get back and we show those all the time and our guys are aware that that’s the biggest problem in transition defense, is when you stay. Even crashing can jam transition offense. You might crash and not get an offensive board, but you’re all over a guy. He’s gotta pause for a second or two, take a dribble out to relieve the pressure and you’re back. The biggest culprit is the stay, when we stay and do neither. And I think we’ve eliminated a lot of those in terms of just kind of establishing the identity changes.
03:00 That’s, I mean, that starts obviously in training camp, right? How much emphasis was there to work specifically in those areas early on?
03:06 Yeah, we did a lot. Jerry Stackhouse brought some drills that he has run over the years, but we’ve really emphasized it. Once the season starts, you just hardly have time, but you just keep emphasizing it, watching film, showing the stats, all that stuff.
03:27 And then conversely, how do you like the kind of synergy between transition defense and transition offense, the base you guys are playing with?
03:33 I think we’re doing a better job overall. I think the numbers show that. We’re trying to take fewer risks and hit more singles, make simple plays, and hammering that home as well.
03:45 Steve, a few weeks ago I asked Willie Green just about player unavailability being up in the last decade and his thought on that was, it’s just a much faster game than it was 20 years ago. How much of the unavailability stuff is the pace and tempo of the game and how much of this other stuff?
04:05 It’s hard to know exactly what’s what, but the numbers do show that our players in the NBA are covering way more ground than they were 15, 20 years ago and that’s easily trackable. And that’s, I think, significant information. It matches up with what we’re seeing on the floor, pace and space. When I played, you didn’t have to run out to 30 feet to cover a shooter. Now you do. Back then you played the game in a very small circumference. Now it’s a huge, big wide circle and you’ve gotta cover the entire court. Everyone is playing faster. So we’re getting more sprints, more up and down. I saw a graph today where players are covering dramatically more ground now than 20 years ago. So it all matches up. You throw in the fact that we’re still playing 82 games and that we have performance groups that are monitoring all this stuff and trying to minimize the wear and tear. We don’t practice much. The schedule’s changed, it’s a game every other day now. We don’t have three in four nights, four in five, which is great, that also means we have no practice time. Every off day is kind of a rest day. And so it’s interesting, the rhythm of the league has changed very much from when I played to now.
05:44 What’s the right amount of regular season games?
05:47 Not 82. We should be playing fewer games. Everybody knows that. But it’s a money issue. And how many of the constituents in the league are willing to take less money? I would argue that we all should because in the long term, the product will be better. The product’s better. Money will be there. I can’t prove that, though. I don’t have an economics background. But there’s lots of money and I’m concerned about the product because I think we’re asking way too much of our players today. The game has never been more difficult to play at a high level night after night after night, and we should account for that. And we all need to be thinking about that for sure.
06:42 For you, you think about that, but then you have a guy like Steph who — and LeBron — it’s the same, you’re around a bunch of those guys in the summer who probably don’t want to pull back. So how have you found the balance change? Then you have a night like tonight where the league is saying this means something more and you’re saying you have to look at the big picture. Have you found the challenge harder over the last decade than you’ve been in?
07:04 Well, I just I think things evolve. Things change. I’d be interested to ask Steph and LeBron if they would want fewer games. I would guess that they would want fewer. But, yeah, the league has really changed a lot. We were — my first year coaching — we were No. 1 in the league in pace. I believe that same pace this year would be 20th in the league or something. So you have to adapt to the rule changes, the style changes. Different coaches come in and introduce different things. I think Mike D’Antoni really changed the way the modern game is played in Phoenix with the pace and space. And as a result, a lot of things have evolved, including the rules. And so it’s on us to adapt to that as coaches and as caretakers of the league. And I just have so much faith in Adam Silver and respect for the league management. What I don’t have faith in is America’s willingness to maybe cut back on a few profits here and there in the name of quality. I don’t think that’s in our nature in America.
08:22 Hi Coach.
08:22 Hi.
08:23 In 2022, you guys did a great job at the beginning of the season. You had a great start. which was probably a surprise for a lot of people because KD just left. And, this season, you guys also had a great start this season. You’re No. 1 in the Western Conference. Do you see any similarities between this season and 2022? And do you feel like in terms of the players and the team, has a similar goal or vibe comparing to 2022?
08:51 Yeah, this actually reminds me a lot of ’22 in that we added some really important veterans to our team that year. Gary Payton, Nemanja Bjelica, Otto Porter, they really came in and supported the group that we had. And this year it’s Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton. It just feels like we have a very mature group that supports our infrastructure that’s already in place in our stars Steph and Draymond. And so it’s been a great mix. I love coaching these guys. They’re all very committed to each other, to winning. And we’re off to a good start and it’s a lot of fun. But we know long way to go, so we don’t want to get carried away.
🫶💙💛