SAN ANTONIO -- This wasn’t what the Dallas Mavericks had in mind for Harrison Barnes.
As coach Rick Carlisle and owner Mark Cuban explained in the preseason, the plan for the Mavs’ new max-contract player was to steadily increase his role throughout the course of the season. They hoped that Barnes could slowly, steadily grow into an effective offensive focal point, if not a go-to guy.
A depleted Dallas team, which is dealing with injuries to Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams, J.J. Barea and Devin Harris, had no choice but to press fast forward on the plan for Barnes. And that’s fine.
Always a fourth or fifth option on loaded squads with the Golden State Warriors, Barnes was more ready to have the offense run through him than anybody anticipated. And Barnes and the Mavs should benefit long-term from any lumps he takes and hard lessons he learns while serving as the clear-cut man in Mavs lineups that otherwise appear to belong in the Las Vegas Summer League.
“This is what every player wants and dreams of, being in that position where you get that responsibility and you have a chance to grow every single night,” Barnes told ESPN on Monday night after scoring 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting in the shorthanded Mavs’ 96-91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
The team results, well, they’ve pretty much been a nightmare. Dallas has dropped its last six games and has the league’s worst record at 2-11.
However, Barnes has been a consistent bright spot, averaging 21.1 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting. He’s proving to be a worthy foundation piece, and he’s embracing the challenge of having so much responsibility heaped on his shoulders.
“In any adversity, there is opportunity,” said Carlisle, who is fully invested in Barnes’ development, putting him through individual workouts and one-on-one film sessions on a regular basis. “That is one of the opportunities he has here: to really experience this at its most difficult, without the key personnel, without the great shooting [around him], and to be able to produce and be a leader at that position and to continue to get better.”
Whether by default or due to Barnes earning the opportunity, there was no doubt that he was going to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line Monday night.
With Dallas down one point in the final minute, the Mavs went to Barnes on back-to-back possessions. He missed both shots, but those moments showed his growth and provided opportunity for more.
In the first instance, Barnes blew past Kawhi Leonard, perhaps the league’s best defender, at the top of the key and missed a lefty finger roll when challenged at the rim by Pau Gasol. (“No comment,” Barnes said when asked if he was hacked on the play, as Carlisle hollered at the referees in the heat of the moment.) Barnes pointed out that using his left hand in that situation was evidence of major personal progress.
“That’s got to be a bucket, but it’s getting better that I have more confidence in that,” Barnes said. “Fourth quarter, end of game, I feel comfortable that I can go to that. A year ago, probably didn’t have enough confidence in that hand that I could do that.”
Well, a year ago, Barnes would have been standing in the corner while watching Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson go to work.
“Exactly. I was on the other side just watching,” Barnes said.
On the next possession, Barnes got the ball on the left wing, faced up against Danny Green and deliberately attacked. He settled for a midrange step-back jumper, a decent look that didn’t go down.
“I love the approach,” said Carlisle, noting how much the Mavs are asking of Barnes to create his own offense in his 42nd minute on the floor Monday. “He wanted the ball, and this kind of experience is invaluable for a guy like that.”
The rap on Barnes, the reason some scoffed at the Mavs giving him a four-year, $94 million deal, was that he lacked the fluidity and feel for the game to create his own offense. Forecasts for the presidential election turned out to be more accurate.
According to NBA.com player tracking data, only Russell Westbrook and James Harden have had more isolation possessions this season than Barnes. He entered the night averaging 1.05 points per possession in those situations, which ranked in the 76th percentile in the league. Of the 19 players with 40-plus iso possessions this season, only Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan and Carmelo Anthony have been more efficient.
And that’s without the luxury of having Nowitzki, who spaces the floor better than any 7-footer to ever play the game, opening up drive lanes by virtue of the respect he demands simply by spotting up.
Of course, that’s not a luxury Barnes should expect to get used to. Nobody knows how much Nowitzki, who has been nursing a sore right Achilles since the opener, will be able to play this season or next. But it’s no secret that the end is near for the No. 6 scorer in NBA history.
That’s why Barnes’ development is by far the most important thing to watch this season for the Mavs. Much more so than the win-loss record, which probably is going to be good enough to get a high pick in a loaded lottery, hopefully providing Barnes a potential co-star.
And Barnes already is several steps ahead of the path the Mavs charted for him.
“At the beginning of the season, it was: Can you score consistently? Can you knock down an open shot?” Barnes said. “I think we’ve moved much more beyond that. It’s great. You have a better appreciation for the superstars in this league who you’ve seen do it every single night at a high level, deep into the playoffs, winning championships. You have a different appreciation for it now being on this side, kind of learning from the ground up.”
The next step in Barnes’ development: Dealing with the kind of attention that stars command.
Barnes has let the league know that he can light it up when he goes one-on-one. He’ll never be a flashy ball handler, but he has studied scorers such as Paul Pierce, who for years was able to force his way to his favorite spots on the floor and score. That’s what Barnes has been able to do, using physicality and leverage to give himself chances to display his crafty ability to finish with both hands. That sets up his impressive step-back arsenal.
However, those one-on-one opportunities are coming less and less often. Barnes doesn’t just consistently draw the opponent’s best defender these days. Those guys are getting a lot of help against him, with teams daring guys like Wesley Matthews and Seth Curry to beat them. (That almost happened against the Spurs on Monday, when the guard duo combined for 43 points on 15-of-29 shooting.)
“It’s not easy,” Carlisle said. “He’s embraced the opportunity. We talked about this going back to early July when we signed him, that there were going to be situations like this in this new situation for him where the load was going to be heavier, and he should look forward to it and prepare for it. And he has, and he’s done well with it so far.
“As we continue to move forward, teams are going to bring more double-teams and different defensive looks. He’s going to have to digest those and continue to make good decisions.”
Barnes already has proven Dallas’ decision to pay him to be a good one. And his development into a starring role is just starting.
