Harrison Barnes answered five questions on media day about topics including Donald Trump, Colin Kaepernick, police brutality, and the National Anthem. He didn’t seem nervous to answer any of them, nor did he seem eager to get it all off his chest. He never had to pause to find his words.
“At the end of the day, it’s still sad that a year after Kaepernick takes that knee, we’re still not talking about the actual issue that he took the knee for; police brutality, systematic racism, things like that. It’s unfortunate that we’re talking about the anthem and it’s made more about Trump than the cause of this,” said Barnes.
The Mavericks public relations representative was standing to the side, half-paying attention, possibly checking emails on her phone. The thought that Barnes might say something regretful didn’t seem to concern her in the slightest.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a way of just sticking to sports,” Barnes continued. “We’re all people. That would be like, ‘you stick to politics. You stick to journalism.’ We have multiple dimensions to us. I think when you bring us off the court, that’s what makes people marketable. So you can’t market somebody’s outside interests and then say, ‘don’t speak on this topic.’”
Barnes was thoughtful and confident. Listening to him, it would seem impossible to vehemently disagree with anything he said, despite the fact that the topics are currently dividing the nation. And yet, you can’t find more than 30 seconds of Barnes’ comments on Twitter. He’s not on a tier of celebrity that would make his opinion newsworthy, and his take on the matter was far too measured for headlines.
And that’s all fine. Fame and exposure tend to manifest in varying levels of insecurity. It’s good for him that Barnes has always come across as more secure in himself than most people in any walk of life, even if we (I’m as guilty as anyone) interpret him as boring.
But Barnes was just as measured talking about his game, which we also tend not to care about. He’s a bit cursed when it comes to his place in the NBA zeitgeist. In general terms, he’s a high floor/low ceiling player, and naturally, that’s a relatively boring thing to be. But what Barnes doesn’t get respect for is this: rather than fruitlessly trying to raise that ceiling, he works tirelessly to raise his floor. For a Mavericks team in transition, it’s why Dallas is comfortable making him their foundation.
Even in an aesthetic sense, Barnes’ game isn’t boring. He’s hit game-winning shots in his career. He’s one of the league most athletic wings. Ask any Warriors or Mavs fan and they’ll tell you Barnes probably has more in-game dunks that made them stand up than Zach Lavine has in his CV.
Have mercy, Harrison Barnes! #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/lYaKCeD6gz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 2, 2017
In an era, where the only hope of beating a super team is to luck into the next great player, it’s hard to stop and appreciate a complete player like Barnes, sharpening his skills and determined to get 20 points and five rebounds. We can’t help but devote hypothetical futures to players that might fit nicely on a championship team once we figure out exactly “what they are.”
A Rodney Hood, for example. Or a Terrence Ross. An Allen Crabbe…Dario Saric… Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. They’re all different players, but they’ve all been more tempting to talk about at one point or another than Harrison Barnes. For every ten players in this mold, one might end up being better than Barnes. The other nine likely won’t ever be as good as he currently is.
Barnes won a championship in Golden State. He was part of the original “Death Lineup,” which, by definition, makes him, at the very least, versatile and effective. But he was probably never perfectly suited to be a bit part on a great team. He’s capable from deep, but not one of the league’s deadliest three-point shooter. He’s better with the ball in his hands. Dirk Nowitzki called him one of the best mid-range shooters he’s ever been around.
Last year, he took on a much bigger role on a team devoid of serious talent and hampered by injuries to basically every other player but him. The Mavericks depended on him more than they depended on anyone, and they were satisfied with what he provided. That can’t be asked of any player whose greatest asset is “potential.”
So Barnes has been a role player on a great team. He’s been the number one option on an awful team. Now, with Nerlens Noel, Dennis Smith Jr., and a handful of good basketball players like Wes Matthews, Nowitzki, J.J. Barea, and Seth Curry, Barnes will likely be the leading scorer on a team with decent talent. That will be a first for him in the NBA.
These were Barnes’ numbers at 24 years old in his fifth season (last year):
- 19.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game. .468% field goal, .351% three-point
These are the same statistics for Gordon Hayward at 24 years old in his fifth season (2014-2015):
- 19.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists per game. .445% field goal, .364 three-point
Hayward might have a higher ceiling than Barnes. He might already be better than Barnes ever will be. But the gap between the two is smaller than the gap between Barnes and a lot of the players we spend more time talking about than Barnes.
Rick Carlisle and Nowitzki have gone on record as being continually surprised that Barnes beats them to the gym every day—he’s there by 7:15 A.M. at the latest.
The Mavericks are focused on Smith’s development. They want a pleasant ride into the sunset for Dirk. They surely have their eyes on future free agents. But for now, Barnes is their foundation.
This is a team that has been spoiled by arguably the most consistent and longest foundational player for one team in NBA history. They’re asking Barnes to play that role, and all they really want to be able to do is rely on him.
They don’t seem too worried about it.