Matt Barnes had a court date scheduled that would fall in the middle of this season’s NBA Finals. When Barnes was with the Sacramento Kings, this clearly wouldn’t have been a problem. But now he’s a member of the Warriors, and most would say the team has a pretty good shot of making the Finals this season.
Barnes appeared in court Friday for an arraignment stemming from assault charges from a fight at a nightclub in New York in December. According to reports, Barnes’ attorney made sure to change the court date until after the Finals.
Alex Spiro, Matt Barnes' lawyer, gets court date pushed back to 6/27: "I have reason to believe my client will be playing in the NBA finals"
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 3, 2017
Well, well, well. You join a winning team and suddenly you’re moving court dates? This could be the new “The Warriors blew a 3-1 lead” meme if they don’t make the Finals: “Matt Barnes’ lawyer moved the court date.”
Joking aside, this was an important move for the Warriors, who will need Barnes’ depth for their playoff run -- particularly if Kevin Durant continues to miss games due to his knee injury.
More concerning for the Warriors than the court date is the reason he’ll be there -- Barnes allegedly choked a woman and then punched her boyfriend during the altercation. Always been known as something of a hothead both on and off the court, Barnes will have to keep himself under control with his new team.
