Benching Harrison Barnes just told us everything about this Spurs team

Dec 13, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) reacts during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesWell, that game didn't go as we hoped, but there are positives to take from it, and the first major one is San Antonio's decision to bring Harrison Barnes off the bench for the first time in a Spurs uniform and the first time in his career since January 2016.

HB had started in 979 out of 1040 games before Mitch Johnson placed him with the second unit today. That takes guts and maturity, and the team handled it very well, despite coming up short in Charlotte.…