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‘Didn’t quite know it to what level’ – Nico Harrison makes baffling admission on Luka Doncic trade
Cover your ears Mavericks fans. Just when you think it can’t get any worse for the passionate Dallas fanbase, Nico Harrison opens his mouth. Harrison has become the number one enemy in DallasGetty On Monday, the general manager of the Mavericks held a news conference to wrap up the franchise’s season from hell. A season from hell that was very much self-inflicted when Harrison decided to rip the hearts out of the fanbase’s chests, when he willingly traded superstar and franchise player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Apparently, Harrison didn’t realize just how beloved Doncic was to the city. “I knew Luka was important to the fan base,” Harrison said. “I didn’t quite know it to what level.” Read that again. Excuse me, I’m sorry, what? You didn’t know how important your transcendent superstar, who hasn’t even reached his prime yet, but has already led your franchise to one Finals appearance and another Conference Finals appearance, was to the fanbase? That’s either organizational malpractice, tone-deaf lunacy, or a blatant disregard for you to actually care. In Harrison’s case, it’s clear that it was all of the above. Fans didn’t hold back their criticism towards HarrisonGetty Harrison still believes he did the right thingGetty “When you have 20,000 people chanting ‘Fire Nico,’ you feel it,” Harrison added later. Looks like he does have self-awareness after all. It’s hard to play devil’s advocate, as there is no defending trading Doncic, or even shopping him around and holding a bidding war for that matter, but in Harrison’s defense, no one could have predicted Kyrie Irving blowing out his knee. And that’s what Harrison pointed to. “The way we looked at it is if you’re putting a team on the floor that’s Kyrie [Irving], Klay [Thompson], P.J. [Washington], Anthony Davis and [Dereck] Lively, we feel that’s a championship-caliber team,” Harrison said. “We would’ve been winning at a high level and that would’ve quieted some of the outrage. Irving suffered a torn ACL days after Doncic was tradedGetty That is by no means an excuse, but it is a fact. A healthy Irving and Davis would have made the Mavericks much more competitive than the tenth seed they ended up being and not advancing past the play-in tournament. But do you know what also would have put the Mavericks in better position to compete for a championship? Having Luka Doncic on your roster. When asked about why he shouldn’t be fired for such a decision, Harrison was confident in himself. “I think I’ve done a really good job here,” Harrison said. “I don’t think I can be judged by injuries this year. You have to be judged in totality from beginning to end.” He also mentioned his strong relationship with team owner Patrick Dumont as a reason he feels safe. “I believe winning will help repair the relationship with the fans,” Harrison added. He better hope so, because he’s already lost the fanbase. And if he loses Dumont too, then Harrison will soon be walking out of American Airlines Center with a pink slip in hand.
Cover your ears Mavericks fans.
Just when you think it can’t get any worse for the passionate Dallas fanbase, Nico Harrison opens his mouth.
On Monday, the general manager of the Mavericks held a news conference to wrap up the franchise’s season from hell.
A season from hell that was very much self-inflicted when Harrison decided to rip the hearts out of the fanbase’s chests, when he willingly traded superstar and franchise player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Apparently, Harrison didn’t realize just how beloved Doncic was to the city.
“I knew Luka was important to the fan base,” Harrison said.
“I didn’t quite know it to what level.”
Read that again.
Excuse me, I’m sorry, what?
You didn’t know how important your transcendent superstar, who hasn’t even reached his prime yet, but has already led your franchise to one Finals appearance and another Conference Finals appearance, was to the fanbase?
That’s either organizational malpractice, tone-deaf lunacy, or a blatant disregard for you to actually care.
In Harrison’s case, it’s clear that it was all of the above.
“When you have 20,000 people chanting ‘Fire Nico,’ you feel it,” Harrison added later.
Looks like he does have self-awareness after all.
It’s hard to play devil’s advocate, as there is no defending trading Doncic, or even shopping him around and holding a bidding war for that matter, but in Harrison’s defense, no one could have predicted Kyrie Irving blowing out his knee.
And that’s what Harrison pointed to.
“The way we looked at it is if you’re putting a team on the floor that’s Kyrie [Irving], Klay [Thompson], P.J. [Washington], Anthony Davis and [Dereck] Lively, we feel that’s a championship-caliber team,” Harrison said.
“We would’ve been winning at a high level and that would’ve quieted some of the outrage.
That is by no means an excuse, but it is a fact.
A healthy Irving and Davis would have made the Mavericks much more competitive than the tenth seed they ended up being and not advancing past the play-in tournament.
But do you know what also would have put the Mavericks in better position to compete for a championship?
Having Luka Doncic on your roster.
When asked about why he shouldn’t be fired for such a decision, Harrison was confident in himself.
“I think I’ve done a really good job here,” Harrison said.
“I don’t think I can be judged by injuries this year. You have to be judged in totality from beginning to end.”
He also mentioned his strong relationship with team owner Patrick Dumont as a reason he feels safe.
“I believe winning will help repair the relationship with the fans,” Harrison added.
He better hope so, because he’s already lost the fanbase.
And if he loses Dumont too, then Harrison will soon be walking out of American Airlines Center with a pink slip in hand.
