Spurs Veteran Harrison Barnes Named Western Conference Player of the Week

SAN ANTONIO — As the saying goes, there's a first time for everything.

In his 13th season, and first with the San Antonio Spurs, veteran forward Harrison Barnes is the Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 5 of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The honor — also the first of his career — comes after Barnes finished three straight games with 20 or more points. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors, the veteran averaged 22.3 points and 8.7 rebounds on 60 percent shooting from the 3-point line.

Harrison Barnes earns his first nod as a Spur. He’s named the Western Conference Player of the Week after three straight 20-point performances.

Against OKC, Utah and GSW, Barnes averaged 22.3 pts and 8.7 reb on 63.2 percent shooting from 3.

“Unc” has been hooping. #PorVida pic.twitter.com/tX3TMOoZFo
— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) November 25, 2024

Barnes played a large role in the latter game, especially, when the Spurs notched their third straight win to breach .500 for the first time this season, though he isn't one to take much credit.

"I don't really have too many expectations coming into games offensively," he said. "It's mostly just reading and reacting off others. Sometimes you get more shots than others. The biggest thing is being active ... and taking the shots as they come."

Now 17 games into the season, the Spurs are continuing to show improvement from last season despite missing key pieces. Adding Barnes and Chris Paul has certainly helped that effort, though it seems that the younger players aren't the only ones benefitting from their presence.

Is that surprising? To Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson, not really.

"He's been extremely efficient," the coach explained. "He's been able to do that over (the course) of his career. Expectations (for him), I'm not sure, but I wouldn't say we're surprised."

To Barnes' teammates? Even less so.

"He's kind of a silent killer," Tre Jones said at shootaround Monday morning. "He does a little bit of everything. He doesn't want the attention, but he's going to hit big shots ... it's always big time for us."

As the Spurs continue to navigate life without Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell, Barnes will likely prove to be as big a catalyst for their success as San Antonio's younger stars.

But experience goes both ways, and one thing is clear: Barnes, like Paul, is "hooping."

"It's been lively," the veteran said before the season. "Camaraderie off the court feeds into how we play on the court ... that's going to bode well for us down the line."

Spurs Veteran Harrison Barnes Named Western Conference Player of the Week

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