Spurs’ obvious Harrison Barnes replacement is gaining traction by the game

The San Antonio Spurs have regained control of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. In doing so, we have gotten a much better idea of what the Spurs playoff rotation will be going forward.

For forward Harrison Barnes, he may not like where things are headed. Barnes has already seen his minutes drop dramatically. He played just 11 minutes in Game 1, 15 minutes in Game 2, 6 minutes in Game 3, and 11 minutes in Game 4.

That is clear indication that he is falling out of favor of coach Mitch Johnson. That is through no fault of his own. Barnes has played well coming off the bench, but it's hard to argue with Johnson playing Carter Bryant and Julian Champagnie over him.

Carter Bryant is replacing Harrison Barnes in real time

Bryant was especially impactful off the bench in Game 3, posting a +17 in 23 minutes with his defense helping spur a come-from-behind win.

With Victor Wembanyama back in Game 4, the Spurs didn't need to play small ball as much, resulting in a decrease in minutes for Bryant. Still, he chipped in six points in 6 minutes by drilling two threes.

Bryant being able to hit threes and defend his butt off will keep him in the Spurs rotation. That's resulted in Barnes' minutes being slashed, with those two essentially competing for the same spot in the rotation.

The Spurs may be tipping their hand on Harrison Barnes' future

Based on how things have gone thus far, it's clear that Bryant is winning the battle for playing time. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if this were Barnes' last season with the Spurs.

Keeping him around is an off-the-bench sharpshooter; one who can play 15 minutes a game makes sense. Then again, with Bryant improving rapidly, he could very well start next season, which would send Julian Champagnie to the bench.

That means that Barnes could become a depth piece at power forward after starting this season as a starter. That would be a great role for him. Even so, the Spurs may not be willing to pay him more than the minimum if he's not going to play a big role.

With his minutes dwindling, this could very well be Barnes' last season in San Antonio. Hopefully, he can continue to make the most of the minutes he receives and helps the Silver and Black win a championship this season.

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