Season going smoothly for unassuming rookie
The edited conversation between the Warriors’ Harrison Barnes and KNBR’s Bob Fitzgerald and Rod Brooks.
Fitzgerald: That OT loss in Denver was tough — Mark Jackson said it was his toughest game as head coach. How did you feel, how did you get over it? What do players do after a game like that? Barnes: It’s heartbreaking. You’re right there, you think you have a shot to win — then it goes to the first overtime. You have another opportunity to win, then it goes to a second overtime. Then you finally lose on a corner three with like 50 seconds to go or something like that. … It’s tough — it’s obviously hard to stomach. … But the next day everyone came in, we had almost everybody in the gym either watching film, getting treatment or on the court working out. Fitzgerald: We already know you can shoot the three, and I think your drives to the basket have surprised people. You’re even driving and finishing with the left hand — Jim Barnett and I have been saying you might not even realize how good you can be. Are you saying to yourself, “Hey, I might be able to do more of this,” even though it’s the NBA? Can you take us through the first seven games in terms of things you’ve learned or how the league is a little different than you thought? Barnes: The biggest thing for me is just growing and developing. Each game I’m getting a little bit more comfortable out there, learning some new things, and hopefully as the season goes on I can continue to do that and it will add to my contributions to the team. Brooks: We’ve seen you go to the block and post guys up a lot so far — is that something that comes naturally to you, or are you working on it and
getting better at it?
Barnes: That’s something I’ve been spending a lot of time on. Richard Jefferson has definitely been big in helping me with my post game. He always beats me in practice every single day, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to learn and translate that. Fitzgerald: How about living in the Bay Area? Going from Ames, Iowa, to North Carolina and now being a 20-year-old out here in the Bay. … How’s the acclimation to San Francisco going? Barnes: I actually live in Oakland, and I’m getting very accustomed to that. I’ve been to San Francisco a lot of times — been out to eat there a lot, there are great eating spots. … But I’ve loved it in the East
Bay so far. Fitzgerald: Obviously, the NBA is moving faster than college, but is it so fast that you’re thinking too much at times? Barnes: I would say the more you play, the more it slows down. Once you get out there, you have to just feel your way out. The very first game, I felt like everything was moving a thousand miles an hour. I felt like I was winded, like I had cottonmouth. … But as you settle in, you get a ton more relaxed out there.