‘I had a vision’: Kings sage leader Harrison Barnes believed the playoffs would happen

Harrison Barnes is closing in on his 31st birthday.

He is a young man by most any measure but is a relative old-timer in professional basketball, meaning, the Kings 6-foot-8 forward has some mileage under the hood and some gray sprinkled on top.

He goes by HB and is the senior statesman on the roster, the sage voice of reason known for being a great teammate and a steadying influence on a young team. And he is a man who can speak of the grind of pursuing an NBA championship, having done so with the Golden State Warriors in 2015 as a role player deluxe to the star power of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

So imagine the pride, the relief and the glee Barnes had on Saturday night when the long-suffering Kings won their first playoff game in nearly 17 seasons, a 126-123 decision over the Warriors in Game 1 of their Western Conference series in front of 18,253 fans inside a rocking Golden 1 Center.

Barnes wasn’t the best player for the Kings in this one — De’Aaron Fox had 38 points and Malik Monk scored 32 — but he was an invaluable piece. He always is. He scored 13 points, pulled in eight rebounds, had three steals, made two assists and had no turnovers.

He guarded big guys and smaller, swift ones. He refused to be rattled by any of the antics or elbows of Draymond Green, whose aim is to rattle. In his 10th season, Barnes enjoyed four seasons with Golden State after his University of North Carolina run. He started every game he played over two seasons in Dallas after signing with the Mavericks as a free agent.

With the Kings since the middle of the 2018-19 season via a trade, Barnes endured a lot of losses and lean team times. It seemed fitting that the Kings trotted their calming presence to the media table first after holding off the defending champion Warriors. Barnes started all 82 games in the regular season and one more on Saturday, averaging 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds.

“I had a vision of what it would be like to make the playoffs here,” Barnes said “There were a lot of long, long days here. To run out there tonight, then to see that (environment) and to see the fans, it was exciting, but you know, obviously, it was a little emotional. Just being a part of that. I’m really just happy for the fans.”

Barnes said he was inspired after seeing ex-Kings stars Bobby Jackson, Vlade Divac and Jason Williams sitting courtside.

“That was big because I talked to those guys a lot,” he said. “It helped me understand the culture of Sacramento, what the fans had meant, and to come up short year after year, and then finally have that moment was great.”

Fox said Barnes’ value is in his versatility and calm.

“Just a very steady presence,” the guard said. “He’s someone who we asked to go out there and guard some of the best players, where he’s guarding (Anthony Davis of the Lakers), or (Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota), guys where he gives up four or five inches. (Tonight), he came to me and he’s like, ‘Yo, I’ve got Steph for awhile,’ because I’m chasing him around. He’s like, ‘Save your legs.’

“He goes out, guards Steph, makes big, timely shots for us,” Fox said. “We can go to him in the post, and he’s a play-maker who can score. He does a lot of things for us, and him being the oldest guy on the team, he’s been there. He’s done that. He’s been in big games. We look for that (leadership) in him. I think that’s what he wants to do. I mean, everyone here has met HB. We’ve talked to him. You can feel the aura around him. It’s always a calm aura. When he’s out there talking, everybody listens. He helps his team tremendously.”

Barnes will continue to lead with words and with actions. He will remind teammates that one win is nice, but it doesn’t mean much if they lose Game 2 on Monday at Golden 1. He will remind teammates that playing loose is the way to go because the Kings earned the No. 3 seed in this tournament by playing loose, fast and fun.

“For us, it’s just continuing to understand what it’s like to play in a series, knowing (the Warriors) are going to respond and make adjustments,” Barnes said. “That’s how a series goes. It was a good first night for us. Just take a step forward.”

Barnes added on keys to continued success, “We know who the main characters are (in this series). It’s a matter of who’s going to do the little details — the rebounds, the turnovers, the 50-50 possessions. We’re going to have a greater desire to come up with those.”

No one doubts Barnes’ effort or impact. He’ll get his share of the little details.