Harrison Barnes Brings Intriguing Skills To The Dallas Mavericks
By Cole Mentzel
Harrison Barnes is set to bring a unique set of small forward skills to the Dallas Mavericks.
In the past it’s been Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews for the Dallas Mavericks, but this season, they left their mark on free agency by signing Harrison Barnes to the largest contract in team history (four years, $94 million).
With a brand new small forward entering the scene in Dallas, let’s review what the Mavs have done at the position in the past.
After being drafted in 2003, Wake Forest forward Josh Howard quickly rose up and secured the position as the team’s starting small forward — a position they had struggled to fill in years prior.
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He played through his career as one of the Mavs’ most promising draft picks, serving as a secondary offensive option to Dirk Nowitzki during some of the franchise’s best years in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
When he was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2010, Phoenix Suns great Shawn Marion took control of the small forward position, providing elite defense and quality offense in his five seasons with the team. He served as a major piece in the team’s 2011 run to the championship.
In 2014-15, the Mavs took a risk and signed forward Chandler Parsons to a three-year, $45 million offer sheet, as he was a restricted free agent. After the Houston Rockets declined to match the offer, Parsons became a member of the Mavs.
He spent the next two seasons with the team struggling with major and minor injuries, as he played just one out of 10 possible playoff games during his stint. This summer, he went on to sign a max deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.
That left the Mavs with a hole at small forward. After failing to bring in players like Nicolas Batum and Kent Bazemore, they threw money at Harrison Barnes, making him a part of the future in Dallas as well as the team’s newest starting small forward.
Barnes entered the league in 2012 after he was selected seventh by the Golden State Warriors in the draft. Through his four years in the league, he saw small increases in his stats and he became a part of the Warriors’ “Death Lineup” consisting of himself, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green.
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In his first year in the league, the team snapped a five-year playoff drought that has led to postseason berths every year since, meaning that Barnes has plenty of playoff experience coming into his new role with the Mavs.
In fact, he’s been to the Finals twice, winning once and fighting through a seven-game series just last season.
But really, Barnes is switching teams at the perfect time. He’s just 24 years old right now, meaning he doesn’t have much left to learn but he’s also not in his prime yet. With that being the case, there’s reason to expect improvement from him.
Mark Cuban had this to say on Barnes’ development (via Mavs.com):
"“I think his game is going to expand significantly,” Cuban said shortly after Barnes’ signing was made official. “You know, you can only do what you’re asked to do in the NBA, and so he’s going to get asked to do a whole lot more with us. He’s already working out with [Mavs coach Rick Carlisle].“I mean, he’s been in every morning working out. He’s hungry for it, and he’s excited to show people. I’m not expecting miracles in Year 1. There will be an adjustment period, but he’s definitely got the skill set. Now, he’s going to work hard to show it.”"
Barnes provides some interesting skills for the Mavs. He basically has two major roles as a player: his work inside and his shooting from outside. Most of his game revolves around paint scoring, like dunks, layups, etc., while the other side of his game lies beyond the arc.
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That’s not to say that he isn’t a good midrange player. In fact, in his first four seasons in the league, he’s shot 45 percent from the field, but with the body type that Barnes has, his work inside and from three tends to be more noticed.
According to NBA.com, he attempted 633 field goals in 2015-16. Of those 633 attempts, 175 were taken at a distance less than five feet while 214 were taken from three-point range. Barnes attempted no more than 94 shots in each of the other categories.
Starting with Barnes’ outside play, he can hit threes from virtually anywhere around the arc. Last season, he shot 38.8 percent from above the break, 38.2 percent from the right corner and 37.2 percent from the left corner. His total shooting percentage from three was 37.6 percent.
As for his work inside, this is where it gets intriguing. Barnes has to be considered one of the most underrated dunkers in the NBA. He’s certainly one of the best dunkers the Mavs have had since Vince Carter was in Dallas from 2011 to 2014.
At 6’8″, Barnes uses his 225-pound body to force his way to the inside. Whether he is pushing through for a big dunk or forcing his way inside for a layup, he has the size that he needs to make his presence obvious.
Last season he connected for 54 dunks, with some coming from physical play, some coming off of alley-oops and a few coming as posters. If he truly expands with his bigger role — like he’s expected to — we could see Barnes in the Slam Dunk Contest again in 2017.
Barnes ended up averaging a total of 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.9 minutes per game last season, but with teammates like Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews, Dirk Nowitzki and Andrew Bogut, he’s set to get more touches, which means more production.
With a solid team of veterans around him, there’s no doubt that Harrison Barnes will be able to maximize his abilities in Dallas and grow to be even better than he was in Golden State.