Easy fix to Spurs' nagging Harrison Barnes problem couldn't be more obvious

Harrison Barnes hasn't been himself in quite some time now. The man Sean Elliott coined "Mr. 100%" has been anything but for over a month now, and it only seems to be getting worse. Mitch Johnson has resorted to taking him out of end-of-game situations, but it may also be time to take him out of the Spurs' starting lineup and put Jeremy Sochan back in.

It wouldn't do much for the spacing, but you don't want someone too small in that position, so your only other option is Luke Kornet. I wouldn't mind seeing the Silver and Black start games with French Vanilla, but I'd much rather use it as an occasional weapon rather than a staple.

Ensuring you always have Victor Wembanyama or Luke on the floor at all times to protect the rim should be a high priority, so staggering them is the better strategy. Sochan isn't a shooter, but he's a better defender and a better rebounder than Barnes. San Antonio can fully commit to suffocating their opponents with the Polish Prince on the floor with Wemby and Stephon Castle.

Spurs must make an adjustment at some point

It would be great if Barnes just started making threes again, but how long are we supposed to wait for that consistency to reemerge? He's shooting 31% since Thanksgiving (20 games), 29% in his last 15 games, 28% over his last 10, and 17% over his last five. Maybe the dam will break, and he'll get his stroke back, but it's compromising the offense right now.

Sochan brings energy, and he's another guy who can switch 1-5. San Antonio's defense has been inconsistent lately, so a change could be what they need to shake things up. Keldon Johnson is the team's offensive energy guy off the bench, and their pink-haired agitator can bring the spark on the defensive end with the starters.

I don't say this lightly either. HB has been a starter for nearly his entire career. There was a short time where he didn't roll with the opening unit during his time in Golden State in his second and fourth years, but in 246 of 307 games with the Warriors, he was in the starting lineup. That's also been the case for every single other game he's ever played in the NBA, and he's featured in 1,030 of them.

I know Sochan isn't a great shooter either, but he can still have nights like the recent Lakers game. He went 2/2. It won't be any worse than Barnes has been, but the defense will be much better. As far as who should finish games, that's a puzzle Coach Mitch Johnson gets to solve that I do not envy.

Once Devin Vassell is back, though, you don't have to have either of them on the floor. A lineup of Wemby, Castle, Dev, Castle, and Julian Champagnie can get the job done. However, they'll still need to work out the starting group, and that's where Jeremy comes back in, redeeming himself when his team needs him most and regaining his status as a core piece of San Antonio's future.

Wouldn't that be a fantastic Spurs story?