Barnes is just as important as Iggy. Without him they have nobody to stretch the floor at the 4 and guard opposing PFs and handle switches effortlessly - this is being the biggest player on the court nonetheless. All the young pieces growing together (Curry, Klay, Draymond and Barnes) and as individuals are what makes this team great - they're the reason why this team won a title. Ezeli wasn't even in the picture. This is what I don't understand, this shouldn't even be an argument. Ezeli was a non-factor when they won a title. Barnes was arguably their fourth most important player last season. He's 23 and he's improving -
You DO NOT break up a PROVEN championship core, for a player who barely played a role in them winning - let alone for a player that can easily be replaced.
Actually this is untrue. I've seen him guarding 4s like "he's on an island", many a time. Let's not act like Barnes isn't close in size (6"8 and 7"0 wingspan) to the majority of PFs in the league.
They haven't missed a beat because Curry is playing at an all-time great level and Klay has stepped up his play with Barnes being out (two players more important than he is). Let's also not act like Barnes wasn't on pace for having his best season yet -
13.4 ppg on 50% shooting in 30 minutes - three 20+ point games over a 10-game stretch. I'd also argue that they have been caught out on the defensive end quite a few times with Ezeli and other role players on switches, who otherwise wouldn't be there if Barnes was playing.
They were examples of players who're out there, who are on similar salaries - the point was "defensive 5s are quite literally everywhere - you can find them lingering at the bottom of every squad's depth chart". Teams are unearthing defensive bigs all the time. There's only a handful of players in the league that are in the mold of Barnes who can provide a similar amount of impact - one being DeMarre who just signed a four-year/60 mil contract and NONE of them possess the upside nor have the chemistry and ability to handle the role that Barnes plays on the Warriors. And you're wanting to throw that all away for a limited-offensive big whose only notable qualities are protecting the rim and crashing the glass; who didn't even have a starring role last season.
It's easier to find players like Whiteside than it is to find players of Barnes' caliber -- especially since the team's style of play is reliant upon his play. As I said before, there's players lingering at the bottom of every squad's depth chart that can assume Ezeli's role. The Warriors don't need to go forking out for a luxury item that they simply don't need. They need Barnes. They don't need Ezeli.
It's simply not. Especially not one who's 23, improving at a rapid rate and has built championship chemistry with the rest of the core. How many 6"8 players who can hit threes, play in the post, guard 4s/3s/2s, run the break/run the floor like a guard, run backdoor cuts, know their limits/play within a system and finish above/at the rim are there in the league?
Improving, who knew something like that could happen.
Tell this annoying as bytch on the Raptors sidelines to shut the fukk up. 
