MFFL’s appreciate Harrison Barnes

I am not going to lie, I was really surprised at the reception Harrison Barnes got from the Mavs fans in attendance.

I certainly expected him to get one, but thought it would be more of a light clap and a few cheers. But when his name was called during intros, a loud ovation poured in as the fans rose to their feet to let HB know what his time meant to them.

The team also honored him with a video tribute during the first quarter.

https://twitter.com/dallasmavs/status/1110707575501348864?s=21

I think it says an awful lot for a fan base to show that kind of love to a player who was only here for two and a half years and was a part of one of the worst stretches in franchise history.

As his new Coach Dave Joerger said, it speaks to his “professionalism” and the fact that he is a “high character guy.”

Nobody knows this better than his former coach, Rick Carlisle.

“I thought it was great.” said.

“He deserves a warm reception.”

Everyone who is a part of, or watches the NBA understands the nature of the business and why these deals happen. However, things are bigger than basketball sometimes, and HB is a prime example of that.

He was deserving of all the love he received.

One more year?

Okay, I’m not trying to get anyone’s hopes up here. I still think it’s rather unlikely Dirk comes back for his 22nd go ‘round, but slowly, he’s starting to get his legs underneath him and find a groove.

He only played 11 minutes and sat out the second half, but was very impressive in his limited run. He finished with 9 points and 2 rebounds on an efficient six shots. He even sprinkled in a couple vintage shots too.

“Good, good. Probably the best of the year,” Dirk said of how he’s feeling physically. “I’ve been playing catch up all season long. It was tough.”

Does 11 solid minutes of play mean anything? Probably not. But his recent run of games is leading me to reconsider whether or not he might come back.

After all, he never announced his retirement. It was always about “how the body is feeling.”

And according to Dirk, that is coming along nicely.

“At least I’m at a point where I can enjoy myself and have some fun with the guys, play efficient, and enjoy the game.”

Luka is the ROY. Period. 

I’m not sure this even qualifies as a takeaway. We already knew it, but in case you had any doubt, Luka went ahead and slammed the door shut.

He notched the 7th triple-double of his rookie season, bringing him into a tie with Magic Johnson for the third most by a rookie.

Trae Young had another terrific night for the Hawks. His recent play, really since the All-Star break, has been stellar and deserves recognition. Lots of it.

But the truly elite company Luka keeps, well that speaks for itself.

That’s what is so crazy about the parallels between these two. Rarely if ever does a trade workout for both teams like this, but it would appear that’s the case here. So instead of trying to tear one down to prop the other up, let’s 1. Understand Luka’s entire body of work makes him the heavy ROY front runner, and 2. Appreciate how good Trae Young is.