Earlier this week, Zach Lowe of ESPN called Harrison Barnes the most under-appreciated player in the NBA, saying that “There are a lot of NBA teams that would be better if Harrison Barnes were on their team.”
The Kings have certainly benefited from Barnes’ career year at age 28, and Lowe went in depth in his weekly 10 Things as to what Barnes has brought to the table this year to help the team: his passing.
He is dishing 3.6 dimes per game, double his career average. He’s seeing passes earlier, and making more advanced reads — kickouts to the player one link further down the chain than the defense expects.