A whirlwind of change awaits new Dallas Mavericks acquisition Harrison Barnes as he revs his preparation for the regular season.
His time as a role player/spot-up shooter might have come to an end, as he can possibly be a third or even a second option on offense with his new team.
“I’m very excited about it. You know, I’ve been working the past couple of years, but also this summer,” Barnes said during a live-streamed appearance on the Mavericks' Facebook page.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully getting reps at it and developing that way, but also just being around guys that have won and guys that have been coached at this level. I’m going to be next to a Hall-of-Famer in Dirk, so it will be pretty cool to learn from him and just see where I can take my game.”
Barnes can be that third option who takes the pressure off Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams. His mid-range game will develop further, now that he's not limited to five-to-eight shots per game.
The more attempts he gets, the more he will get a chance to develop a rhythm and grow into a threat at the wing.
The North Carolina product has a balanced offensive arsenal, as he's a capable three-point shooter with a well-rounded mid-range and back-to-the-basket game.
“I mean, one, the ball is going to be in my hands a lot more, so there’s going to be a lot more decisions to make,” Barnes said.
“I’ve been talking to coach Carlisle a lot, just about what I’m going to be able to do and what kind of things he wants me to do to help this team along with what I’m already doing. That was another thing he talked about was like, ‘Look, you’ve defended and rebounded at Golden State. Just ’cause you come here and we want you to score, you don’t let those things go away.’ It’s simply adding to that, so I’m excited.”
The 6-foot-8 forward is definitely approaching his new team like a true professional. His resilient demeanor will pay dividends for him, though we are yet to see how he will respond to the added responsibility during the course of 82 games.
Barnes set career-highs last season in points (11.7), assists (1.8), and free-throw percentage (76.1-percent) in 31 minutes of action per game.
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