Draymond GreenForward, Golden State Warriors

Matt Barnes: The great teams still have this player 🤔| #Shorts

29 Dec 2021 · 1 min

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In this short monologue, Matt Barnes reflects on the often‑overlooked value that veteran, defensive‑oriented players bring to NBA teams. He recounts receiving frequent calls from former teammates—CP, JJ, DJ—who express how much they miss his presence and urge the team’s doctor to bring him back, underscoring the tangible, non‑stat‑sheet impact he provides. Barnes emphasizes that while he isn’t an All‑Star, his role is vital, especially as the league trends toward faster, higher‑scoring, less physical play. He argues that the few teams that continue to succeed still retain one or two players like him who contribute defense, physicality, and intangibles that are essential for winning.

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The second I get traded from that team, I'm constantly getting calls from CP, JJ, DJ, like, "Man, we miss you. We've been telling Doc to bring you back, this, this, and that." So there's certain tangibles that you bring as a player when you're that kind of player that don't necessarily always show up on the stat sheets. You know, again, you're not the all-star, you're not this, you're not that, but very vital. And there are very few, I feel like, of you guys left in the league because the league is going in such a different direction now. It's more up-tempo, it's more scoring, it's more points, it's less defense, it's less physicality. But you could really tell the teams that do still have success in this league have a guy or two like that on the team still.