SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ The trade deadline hit the Kings locker room like a strike of lightning last season, creating changes in the ecosystem that are still being studied today.
In a flash, Iman Shumpert, Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph were gone, shipped out in separate deals that brought Harrison Barnes and Alec Burks to Sacramento. Those moves frazzled some of the team's young players, altering team dynamics in some interesting and still-evolving ways, but something important happened in the days after that initial jolt.
Barnes showed up to work. He hung his suit neatly, laced up his shoes and quietly went about his business. He did big things and little things and lots of unnoticed things that contribute to a winning basketball culture, all with an unassuming leadership style that was never perceived as a threat to the team's emerging young stars.
They missed their departed teammates, but they respected Barnes and understood what he brought to the squad. They watched him work on his game. They saw him maintaining his body. They noticed his charitable efforts in communities across the country.
"He's the ultimate leader, not just vocally, but the way he acts," rookie guard Justin James said. "He's the ultimate professional. Everything he does, on and off the court, is something somebody can look up to. He's always about doing his job."
Barnes did his job well Saturday at Golden 1 Center, scoring a season-high 30 points to help the Kings storm back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 100-97 in overtime. The Kings (8-10) have won eight of 13 going into Monday's game against the Chicago Bulls (6-14), keeping themselves in playoff contention despite the injury-related absences of De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III.
Sacramento went 0-5 to start the season, but over the past 13 games the Kings were seventh in the Western Conference and 12th in the NBA with a plus-2.3 net rating, averaging 109.1 points per 100 possessions while allowing 106.8. Last season, when Sacramento finished ninth in the West with 39 wins, the Kings were 18th in the NBA with a net rating of minus-1.2.
During this stretch, the Kings have beaten the Utah Jazz, snapped the Boston Celtics' 10-game winning streak and rallied to beat the Nuggets, who had won six in a row and 10 of their last 11. Along the way, the Kings nearly knocked off the Los Angeles Lakers and almost beat the Celtics a second time on the road.
Remarkably, the Kings are playing like a playoff team. Despite their early struggles _ despite the losses of Fox and Bagley _ they are tied with the Phoenix Suns for eighth in the Western Conference. They wouldn't be doing any of this without Barnes, who has been one of the team's steadiest, most consistent players since signing a four-year, $85 million deal to stay in Sacramento over the summer.
"He's been huge for us," Kings coach Luke Walton said. "Just his leadership on and off the court, the way he sets the example for young guys to really kind of build their professional habits around, being able to see that every day, coming into games and being a steadying force for us. Sometimes we're out there, especially since Fox has been out, (and) it can kind of get a little wild out there, and Harrison has been that constant, calming force for our team."
Kings guard Buddy Hield echoed those sentiments following the win over Denver.
"Every time they went on a run, he was able to calm us down by getting a 3 or a post-up or getting to the basket," Hield said. "He's been the one that's keeping everybody in line and in check. He's been consistent all year."
Barnes is averaging 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and career highs of 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals. He is shooting a career-best 49.7% from the field and isn't far off his best season at 39.7% from 3-point range.
Barnes says he's just doing his job.
"That's largely my role, to come in and help where needed," Barnes said. "Some nights it's scoring. Some nights it's rebounding. Some nights it's defense. Some nights it's simply making the right play. That's something I try to do consistently for this team. We have a lot of talent. We have a lot of people who can do a lot of different things. For me, my biggest job is just to fill in the gaps."
His style is quiet, simple and understated, but his influence is undeniable.
"Harrison is one of the best professionals in this game," Kings guard Cory Joseph said. "He approaches the game every day, whether it's a game or practice, the same way, so just seeing him and the way he approaches the game is big for the young guys because we have a young group."
Fox sits on one side of Barnes' locker. James sits on the other, watching him work, noticing the little things he does to maintain his mind, his body and his game.
"On the court, he's super calm, always calm and collected," James said. "He doesn't let anybody rattle him. He's always playing his game. And then off the court, he's always doing the right things. He's always trying to make his body better. He's always trying to improve his game. I pride myself on trying to be the first guy here, and he always beats me here. There are just so many things that HB brings to this team."
