Warriors' Barnes should take advantage of matchup with Harden

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OAKLAND – The mere presence of Warriors star Klay Thompson puts such fear in the Houston Rockets they’re willing to give one of his teammates a perfect opportunity to thrive in the scoring column.

And, frankly, Harrison Barnes could use a bounce-back game on offense.

Barnes missed his first seven shots in the season opener Tuesday night against New Orleans. The 6-foot-8 forward missed shots open and contested, long and short. He totaled eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.

But Barnes should have plenty of opportunities when the Warriors and Rockets meet Friday night. He’s likely to draw guard James Harden, the weakest defender in Houston’s starting lineup.

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Though the natural matchup would pit Harden against Thompson in a battle between the NBA’s top two shooting guards, the Rockets usually assign Trevor Ariza, a very capable small forward, to Thompson.

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“James rarely ever guards me,” Thompson said of a player against whom he has competed since the two were teenagers in greater Los Angeles.

“But when James does guard me,” Thompson added, “I try to run him off as many screens as possible because I know how much energy he exerts on the offensive end and how much he has the ball in his hands. I just try to run him all day.”

That ought to serve as a useful scouting report for Barnes, who is three inches taller and 10 pounds heavier than Harden. It’s one matchup in which the Warriors, when on offense, have a clear advantage.

If Barnes can find a way to take advantage of it, he’ll force the Rockets to adjust their defensive strategies in future games against the Warriors.

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