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Why Harrison Barnes Evolution Is Key to Golden State Warriors Makeover By D.J. Foster (Featured Columnist) on September 16, 2013 2,343reads 5 ShareTweet Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more storiesNext Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Harrison Barnes is not one of the Golden State Warriors few best players, but he may have the biggest impact on the present and future of the team. That might seem like a curious statement to make given Golden States big acquisition of Andre Iguodala this offseason, the emergence of Stephen Curry as a superstar in the playoffs last year, the elite shooting of Klay Thompson, or even the solid (albeit one-sided) output of David Lee and Andrew Bogut. Surely the Warriors have more productive players on the court, as Barnes’ PER of 11 was average among NBA small forwards last season. So how does Barnes hold so much influence? Because its the buzzsaw, small-ball version of the Warriors that put a scare into the San Antonio Spurs and inspired championship hopes. Its that version of the Warriors that was born from necessity, and Barnes is the player who could make that happen again. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Small Change, Big Results When David Lee tore his hip flexor in the opening game of Golden State’s first-round series, the Warriors went with a lineup that had played together exactly once during the regular season. What would spell doom for most teams ended up being a boon for the Warriors, though, as Barnes shifted down to the power forward spot to create a vicious small-ball attack with Curry, Jarrett Jack, Thompson and Bogut manning the paint. That lineup ended up being the most used lineup for the Warriors in the postseason, playing 108 very successful minutes together.While the sample size is small, the results are hard to dismiss. The Warriors were able to generate significantly more three-point shooting opportunities (25.7 per 48 minutes compared to 19.8) and a better offensive (107.7 to 106.4) and defensive rating (96.