Dallas Mavericks: Harrison Barnes working hard this offseason

Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes has been working hard this offseason in Dallas, and the confirmation was posted online on Aug. 31.

The Dallas Mavericks and Harrison Barnes are entering the final guaranteed year of his contract.  Barnes has a player option for next season at $25.1 million, or he can test the free agent waters.

He has been the Mavs leading scorer both of his years in Dallas.  Barnes plays well but lacks the flash and highlight reel capability of other leading scorers.  The combo forward turned 26 in May, and he continues to get better each year.

Hitting the gym

Barnes stayed in Dallas this summer and has been working hard on his game.  You can check out three pictures of HB putting in work on Twitter here courtesy of Steve Chavera.

Barnes needs to be more consistent with his 3-point stroke this season.  He shot 35.7 percent from three last season which was just under league average (36.2 percent).   HB is a career 36.7 percent shooter, which is a bit inflated from his Warriors days.

Some of that should return with Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. handling the ball more and allowing Barnes to spot up for open looks.  Keep an eye on Harrison Barnes’ 3-point production this season.

Still the leading scorer?

Barnes averaged 18.9 points per game last season.  He has led the Mavs in scoring two straight years.  Will that trend continue, though?

Dennis Smith Jr. was the second leading scorer last year at 15.2 points per game.  He is looking to take another step forward in his sophomore year, but nearly four points each game is a significant jump.

Dallas also moved up to draft Doncic and he comes in off a season averaging 14.2 points per game in only 25.1 minutes a night for Real Madrid.

Barnes could see a slight dip in his scoring this season as the Mavericks spread the ball around a bit more.  Early signs point to Barnes averaging around 18 a night.  Smith Jr. and Doncic likely both score 15-17 points per game giving the Mavs plenty of dangerous scoring options.

Final thoughts

Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes has been in Dallas working hard all summer long.  The team is expecting to be better this season, and Barnes figures to play a significant role in their success.  They need him to be a scorer.  Barnes also draws the responsibility of defending the plethora of tough forwards in the Western Conference.  Expect him to capable of handling the tasks, though.

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