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Mavericks' Barnes: 'The ball is going to be in my hands a lot more'

Jim Young / REUTERS

After primarily being used as a spot-up shooter during his time in the Bay Area, newly signed forward Harrison Barnes is more than ready for his expanded role in the Dallas Mavericks' offense.

"I’m very excited about it. You know, I’ve been working the past couple of years, but also this summer," Barnes said during a live-streamed appearance on the Mavericks' Facebook page. "I’m looking forward to hopefully getting reps at it and developing that way, but also just being around guys that have won and guys that have been coached at this level. I’m going to be next to a Hall of Famer in Dirk, so it will be pretty cool to learn from him and just see where I can take my game."

Related: Mark Cuban: Harrison Barnes will become a go-to guy

With Chandler Parsons, Raymond Felton and Zaza Pachulia all gone from last year's roster, Dallas will look to Barnes to help make up for the sudden loss in scoring. And while the Mavericks will be counting on Barnes to provide on the offensive end, head coach Rick Carlisle still expects the 6-foot-8 small forward to compete on both ends of the floor.

"I mean, one, the ball is going to be in my hands a lot more, so there’s going to be a lot more decisions to make," Barnes added. "I’ve been talking to coach Carlisle a lot, just about what I’m going to be able to do and what kind of things he wants me to do to help this team along with what I’m already doing. That was another thing he talked about was like, ‘Look, you’ve defended and rebounded at Golden State. Just ’cause you come here and we want you to score, you don’t let those things go away.’ It’s simply adding to that, so I’m excited."

After inking a four-year max-level contract with the Dallas Mavericks earlier in free agency, Barnes will look to prove he's more than just a role player during the upcoming season.

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