The Spurs' greatest Harrison Barnes fear has come alive in the playoffs

Through the first three playoff games, Harrison Barnes has hardly played or been effective in his short stints on the floor. At this rate, there's a chance that HB will be completely removed from the rotation as the Silver and Black traverse deeper into their run. The Spurs fans' fear that Barnes couldn't produce in the playoffs has become alarmingly real.

Things have taken quite a turn for the veteran. Barnes started the season as a starter, playing around 30 minutes a night. About midway through the season, Harrison was starting to struggle, which cost him his starting spot to Julian Champagnie. Entering the postseason, we still figured that the sharpshooter would play a prominent role for the Spurs, but that is clearly not the case.

Harrison Barnes has struggled to remain effective

Above all else, the reason why Harrison Barnes has been exiled from the rotation is the volatility of his jump shot and his ability to create open looks. Although statistically, the sniper hasn't been all bad from beyond the arc in the 2025-26 season, shooting 38.8% from three, his consistency has been his Achilles' heel.

On a night-to-night basis, you have no idea what you are getting from Barnes. He may shoot 5/5 or 0/5; you never truly know. Along with that, Harrison can't get shots up as much as Julian Champagnie can. Jules is much more mobile off the ball and can even create on his own at times. Barnes has struggled in those areas.

Throughout his minutes, you will commonly see Harrison Barnes sitting in the corner waiting for a shot. In his age-33 season, he doesn't have the off-ball movement that he once had. Along with his low effectiveness as a shooter, he doesn't provide much of anything else to warrant him staying on the court. When his shot isn't falling, he becomes a black hole.

Harrison Barnes may be removed from the rotation in later series

Don't be surprised if Harrison Barnes falls out of the rotation in potential second- and third-round matchups. I anticipate he will get more burn against the Trail Blazers, as the margin for error is much larger, but if he continues to be a zero on the floor, his time in the rotation may be done once this series is over.

Ahead of the playoffs, I feared that Harrison Barnes's struggles might hurt the Spurs in the postseason; however, I didn't expect him to be removed from the rotation entirely. However, that will still pain San Antonio, as they will be playing with one fewer player, placing a heavier load on the rest of the team.

It's a disappointing result for a player whom all San Antonio fans love. Unfortunately, all players see their careers dwindle as they age, and now that is happening to HB. An unrestricted free agent this offseason, this may be the last we see of the veteran in the Alamo City.

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