Dallas Mavericks: Harrison Barnes Won The Offseason
Harrison Barnes got paid and gets to fly solo next season. That makes him this offseason’s biggest winner.
It would be tough to argue that the 2016 NBA offseason was anything other than extremely lit (as the kids say). The biggest event was Kevin Durant’s migration west to the Golden State Warriors. The move unsurprisingly sent shockwaves throughout the rest of the NBA. The Warriors essentially swapped out Harrison Barnes for Durant, giving them the perhaps the best starting five of all-time.
Landing Durant has helped Warriors establish themselves as the best super-team since the Monstars left Moron Mountain to take their talents to Looney Tune Land. For their sake, let’s hope it ends better than it did for that team.
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Durant’s abrupt exit has also caused Russell Westbrook to enter into full-on kill mode. He’s signed an extension with Oklahoma City to seemingly take revenge on Durant and whoever else is foolish enough to get in his way.
The rest of the league has been left scrambling. How can anyone compete with what the Warriors have assembled? Former contenders like the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, and even the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers look to be just playing for second place.
It would be easy to say that the Warriors and Durant were the winners of the offseason. They grabbed most of the headlines and are now heavy favorites to win the 2017 NBA championship, but they are not the winners. One of casualties of this signing is the true winner of this offseason.
Really, Harrison Barnes?
You guessed it, folks. The winner of this offseason is none other than the Black Falcon himself, Harrison Barnes.
Some might say that being forced to leave one of the best teams in NBA history would make Barnes a loser in this whole exchange, but that takes a myopic view of the current NBA world. It’s about more than winning and losing. It’s also about branding.
Hear me out. This went better than Barnes could have ever hoped. If Durant stayed in Oklahoma City and Barnes still elected to sign elsewhere (even if Golden State matched the offer) he would have been subject to unfair criticism from fans and journalists alike.
“He only cares about money!”
“Doesn’t he want to win?”
“He choked in the Finals, good riddance!”
You know, the same garbage people spew anytime any athlete does something that’s best for them as a person and not something that the general public deems most appropriate.
Durant choosing to sign with Golden State spares Barnes from those hot takes. There just isn’t enough room for both of them in Oakland. Barnes didn’t want to leave, but he had to. It wasn’t his choice. He even sent goodbye texts to all of his teammates. What a guy!
Dallas Bound
Exiled from Golden State, Barnes signed a maximum contract with the Dallas Mavericks and instead of being ridiculed he gets to be Dirk Nowitzki‘s protege and the future of Mavericks basketball. Rather than being a small piece of a basketball juggernaut, he gets to be the guy.
Barnes, Wesley Matthews and Dirk will be at worst share the role of No. 1 option, unless Deron Williams has invented a time machine and that news hasn’t broken yet.
Instead of standing in the corner and waiting for Draymond Green or Stephen Curry to pass him the ball, he will be a creator on offense. That means isolation sets, post-ups, and being a lead ball-handler in the pick and roll. Once Dirk retires he may even get all the big shots in crunch time. He will get the opportunity to do all the things we associate with a “star” player.
What About On The Court?
The question remains: How will Barnes adjust to his new role as NBA alpha dog? Yes, as long as he’s still in the league the Mavericks will be Dirk’s team, but he’s 38 years old. Mark Cuban didn’t hand out a max deal so Barnes could play fourth banana as he did with the Warriors. Barnes will be a huge part of this offense sooner rather than later.
For his career Barnes has averaged 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 44.6 percent shooting and 37.6 percent from three-point range, while playing what most observers would characterize as slightly above average defense. That doesn’t scream “superstar in the making,” but it’s hard to be sure what his ceiling is considering the limited role Barnes played with the Warriors.
His best season came in 2014-15 when he scored 10.1 points per game on a career high 48.2 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from deep. Last season he got more shots, leading to a slight dip in his efficiency. He still averaged a respectable 11.7 points per game on 46.6 percent shooting and 38.3 percent from long range.
Even if he’s not ready for primetime, Barnes is going to be given the chance to show that he is more than just a role player. Considering he already has a championship under his belt this is the best possible scenario for his career. In Golden State he was never going to outshine Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson or Draymond Green.
Branding!
For a brand-conscious athlete like Barnes, this transition is important. Barnes the brand may be even more important than Barnes the player. Since the day he Skyped Roy Williams to announce his commitment to the University of North Carolina, the brand of Barnes has been carefully constructed.
He’s as calculated as a professional athlete can be, like the politician that seduces you with his populist robotic rhetoric. He’s well spoken, rarely says anything controversial, and has always been positioning himself for his breakout season. That just hasn’t happened.
The brand has survived blips on the radar like failing to live up to unfair expectations in college and most recently a disappointing performance in the NBA Finals. He’s made it through to the other side without suffering permanent damage and now he has his chance to shine.
Being “the guy” on a good team is better for his marketing potential than being an afterthought on a great team. Just think of the possibilities.
He’s already off to a good start by making the US Men’s National Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Yes, he only made the team because higher profile players elected not to join, he’s barely getting to play, and he has been made fun of during his time in Rio, but it’s better to have a seat at the dinner table than to eat in the backyard. A Team USA appearance is just another thing Barnes can add to his resume. Any publicity is good publicity.
Let’s say Barnes flourishes in Dallas and makes the All-Star team. Maybe Nike elects to give him his own signature shoe, the “HB40” (the logo is obviously a Black Falcon in flight). Dallas makes the playoffs, but loses in the first round. Barnes still sees his profile raised by his All-Star season. Golden State loses to the Cavs again in the Finals and the ensuing Kevin Durant takes set the internet on fire.
In the offseason he makes a guest starring appearance on Shark Tank alongside his boss Mark Cuban. The next thing you know he’s standing next to Peyton Manning making a casserole dish full of chicken parm in a Nationwide commercial. The Barnesification of America is complete.
If Not Now, When?
Does all of this seem a bit outlandish? Probably. Is Barnes really going to flourish as a No. 1 option, or is it more likely that he struggles on a middling Dallas team? Time will tell.
James Harden struck out on his own after years of being overshadowed by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. If he had never gone to Houston it’s possible he never would have reached his potential as a basketball player. Say what you will about Harden, but he is undoubtedly a superstar.
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I don’t know if Barnes is the next Harden, but if you never get the chance to fly how will you know if you can? Barnes will get his chance and for that reason he is the true winner of the 2016 NBA offseason.
If it doesn’t work out, he’s still got his money and his pal Andrew Bogut. That’s something.