One stat proves Harrison Barnes holds keys to Spurs' title hopes

San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes is having a roller coaster season, to say the least. He got off to a slow start to the year before roaring back to life in mid-November only to go through a nightmarish months-long slump starting in December.

That cost him his starting role, but he is beginning to bounce back. Over his last 11 games, he's quietly shooting 42.9% from three on 4.5 3-point attempts per game.

That is near the level he was shooting at last season when he carved out a crucial role on the Spurs. It's still too early to tell whether he is back or if this is temporary.

Spurs fans should hope for the former, given how much this team needs his shooting. In fact, a recent stat underscores just how important Barnes is to this team.

Harrison Barnes is still crucial to the Spurs' title hopes

The Spurs have played impressively well in crunch time this season, going 13-5 in games where they are leading or trailing by five points with five minutes left. Barnes is usually on the floor during those minutes with De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Victor Wembanyama.

Looking at that five-man lineup, it's easy to see why Barnes leads the Spurs in crunch time plus/minus.

For one, he is the only player in the lineup that has played every game. That means he won't have the same clutch plus/minus as, say, Vassell or even Fox.

It seems no matter who he plays with, Barnes has a positive effect on the Silver and Black. Especially when it comes to offense, few teams can match the level of shooting he provides at the four.

Better still, San Antonio's typical closing lineup has plenty of spacing with four players shooting at least 35% from three on high volume. They also have plenty of ball handling and shot creation with Fox and Castle and an offensive focal point in Wemby.

The Spurs have already found their go-to closing lineup

Defensively, there are no weak links. Fox is fine, Castle is great, Vassell is good, and Wemby is a monster, while Barnes is at least serviceable.

Having a terrific offense and a strong defense rolled into one makes their closing lineup all the more dangerous. Barnes is clearly key to that, and San Antonio already having a proven go-to closing lineup bodes well for them come playoff time.

All told, while Barnes has had an up-and-down season, he is clearly still an important piece of San Antonio's rotation. If he can continue his recent hot stretch, then the Silver and Black should continue to rely on Barnes to close, with him having had a huge impact on a young team.