The Dallas Mavericks officially fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday. While most of the NBA world seems to agree it was the best move following the Luka Doncic trade nine months ago, there are some who aren't fans of the firing. Draymond Green recently provided support for Harrison, while Skip Bayless took to X, formerly Twitter, to call out the Mavs for the decision.
“Firing Nico now is a dumb premature gutless overreaction to an early 3-8 record, just as Cooper Flagg is getting his rookie legs underneath him, AD is about to return from his calf pull and Kyrie is said to be on schedule to return by midseason,” Bayless wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
It goes without saying, but Bayless is missing the bigger picture. Regardless of whether or not the Mavericks compete this season, trading Doncic frustrated an entire fanbase. “Fire Nico” chants are not uncommon to hear at the American Airlines Center in Dallas — something that isn't ideal for Cooper Flagg in his rookie year.
In the final minute of Monday's 116-114 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the chants could be heard in a loud manner at the arena. Instead of consistent cheering for the team in that final minute, there were “Fire Nico” chants, which obviously did not help the players.
Moving on from Harrison is more than a basketball move. It represents a fresh start for a franchise that has gone through adversity over the past nine months. The move won't solve the aftermath of the Doncic trade, but it will allow Flagg and his teammates to be able to focus on basketball while playing at home — as opposed to hearing chants from fans about wanting the general manager to be fired.
