Welcome my avid Razzball readers to the weekly installment of Underperformer of the week.
I am experiencing a sensation of déjà vu as variants rip through our beloved NBA and cause many players to miss time as a result of Covid-19 protocols. This is reminiscent of a time not so long ago when fans were not permitted to be in arenas and were forced to watch games from the comfort of their homes or a favorite watering hole with capacity restrictions. I hope that we do not get to that point this time around but regardless of that outcome, we must continue to search for value that will provide us with an advantage to excel in our respective leagues.
It is time to peel back that curtain and take a closer look at this week’s feature player.
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Harrison Barnes
The Sacramento Kings forward was one of the hottest players out of the gate to begin the season providing early-round value for a player selected at the end of most standard drafts. It was clear to see that there was no possible way he could sustain top 20 value and would regress to the mean and settle into a top 70-80 player on the season. Still, he was a tremendous value for a $1 player in auction drafts.
Barnes missed five games due to injury and since his return, he has struggled to duplicate or even come close to meeting the value he displayed early in the season. Over the past two week’s Barnes has been the 279th ranked player on the season pushing him far beyond standard league value. Barnes has been putting up 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds 2.0 assists with 1.3 threes while shooting 30.8% from the field and 76.9% from the free-throw line. Those numbers are far below his season averages of 17.4 points, 6.7 rebounds 1.8 three’s with shooting splits of 45.4% field goal, and 83.8% from the line.
I believe that Harrison’s value lies somewhere in between those lines and that creates an opportunity to float some low-ball offers out for a player with room to improve on his recent performance. If you have a top 100 player you are willing to part with in return for Barnes, you will easily win this trade and reap the benefits of his increased value, which is soon to come. Barnes is not the sexiest player out there but that also plays in your favor when making a trade for him as his manager likely does not covet him as much as some other players.
It should not be long until the veteran goes on one of his “Barnes Burners” (alternate name for this post) and subsequently eliminates the opportunity to get him at a steep discount. When he is rolling, Barnes is a safe plug and play who will give you albeit not mind-blowing but dependable stat lines to help steady your ship.
The Kings are a disaster of a franchise and there is a strong likelihood that Barnes does not finish the season in Sacramento but until that time comes, there is value to be had. It is also not a foregone conclusion that a trade decimates his value, and you should be able to get him right now at enough of a discount to supplement a move to another team via trade.
The time is now to make a move for the value pick that no one is thinking about. You will be like a thief in the night and before anyone knows what is happening, Barnes will be on your team producing.
Hit your boy up in the comments section for your take on my analysis, agree or disagree all opinions are welcome.
Good luck my people,
Peace.
