3 Positives For Sacramento Kings During NBA Hiatus
#2. Rest For Barnes
There was no Kings player that benefitted more from the All-Star Break than Harrison Barnes. After enduring one of the craziest travel summers you’ll ever see from an NBA player, Barnes participated in every one of the 64 games that Sacramento played this year. Not only did he participate, but he also averaged the most minutes of any Kings player with 34.9 per game. Barnes ranked fifth in the NBA in total minutes played with 2,231.
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Not only does the hiatus provide Barnes a chance to rest his weary legs, but it also provides him with an opportunity to lose the unusual amount of hair that has been growing on his face. In mid-February, news came out that Barnes had made a commitment to a cause that seemed highly unlikely: he would not shave his face or cut his hair until the Kings were back to .500 or the season ended, whichever came first.
When Barnes made the decision, the Kings were just a couple of games behind the .500 mark. When the news came out that he had made the decision nearly two months prior, he looked pretty foolish; Sacramento was 21-33. The late-season playoff push gave a small glimmer of hope to Barnes hopes of shaving his face, though if the Kings were to qualify for the post-season, it would likely be with a sub-.500 record.
Whether or not the NBA resumes the regular season, Barnes will have fresh legs for the first time in nearly two years when he does play again.