Clippers' Barnes on chaotic preseason: 'I don't know how to function with peace'
It's difficult to imagine Matt Barnes' preseason having gone worse.
Just last year, he averaged 27.5 minutes and started 40 games for the Los Angeles Clippers, starting all 13 playoff games and seeing his minutes bump to 31.1 a night. He was a key piece on a very good team.
As the Clippers look to move from very good to great, Barnes' starting small forward spot has been identified as a potential area for improvement. As head coach Doc Rivers experiments with different lineups, Barnes has started just three preseason games, and has played abjectly terrible basketball - he's averaging just two points in 22.9 minutes while shooting 8.3 percent. 8.3 percent!
As a result, it looks like Barnes is set to come off the bench when the season opens. Barnes didn't sound overly discouraged by the demotion when speaking with Dan Woike of the Orange County Register:
It’s just a rough stretch. Luckily, it’s only the preseason. Doc said he’s trying to figure out the starting lineup. He said he wants to bring me off the bench; I want to come off the bench. It’s just a matter of finding a rhythm, clearing my mind and playing basketball.
It’s a process. I know I can play. It’s just a matter of finding my rhythm, finding my niche coming off the bench with the second unit.
Barnes' troubles have extended beyond the court, too - he is reportedly going through a divorce. And this summer, he felt like the team was trying to replace him by adding Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joe Ingles and C.J. Wilcox to compete on the wing.
Reflecting on a tumultuous summer that is just the latest in a long line of personal struggles in his life, Barnes doesn't see the chaos as the root of his poor play.
"My life has always been hectic," he said. "I don't know how to function with peace."
It's a long season, and Barnes' role in Rivers' rotation can surely change as the year wears on. Coaches often lean on players they can trust in hard times, and Barnes' last two seasons have surely earned him a longer leash with his coach.