Harrison Barnes was scrutinized for his 2016 Finals play where he averaged 9.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Now with the Mavericks, Barnes is off to a hot start, posting numbers of 22.3 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting.
The Mavs are set to face the Warriors tonight and Barnes told reporters that the final two minutes of Game 7 of the NBA Finals determined his future with the franchise and that he “can’t say [he’s] surprised” the Dubs front office decide to make major changes.
More from ESPN:
“There were a lot of emotions after a Game 7 loss,” said Barnes. “I think a lot of people were upset, frustrated. And we blew a 3-1 lead. So that was the mindset. I think we knew they were going to blow it up if we lost that series, which we did. I can’t say I was surprised
“It was difficult, man,” Barnes said. “Just because you go back and you watch Game 7 and you’re like, ‘Man, it’s two minutes away from planning a parade’ or ‘Thank you for your services.’ It was a pretty big switch.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to put that stuff to the side. I made the decision to go to Dallas. I don’t really dwell on that and just move forward.”
Barnes said he’s happy in Dallas and that “there’s more opportunity here” and he doesn’t feel any ill will towards Golden State:
“How things went down, like I said, it’s a business. It’s not something you get emotionally hurt about or anything like that, but when you lose and they say, ‘Thank you, we’re going to go in a different direction,’ you take that and keep it moving.”
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