After Dirk Nowitzki suffered an injury that put him out for 25 games last season, former Tar Heel Harrison Barnes became a major offensive leader for the Dallas Mavericks last season, averaging 35.5 minutes, 19.2 points and five rebounds per game.
In the first four games of this season, though, Barnes hasn’t been the same tempo-setter he was for the Mavericks last season. In his team's 0-4 start, Barnes' points per game has dropped to 16.3 after a 133-103 loss to his former team, the Golden State Warriors. He was 6-for-15 with just 13 points, going 0-3 on three-pointers and only 1-3 from the free throw line.
Only time will tell if Barnes can be the same impact player in the NBA that he was for the Tar Heels. But with his minutes and shots per game mimicking his numbers from last year, Barnes certainly will have the chances to eventually be the same statistical leader for the Mavericks like he was in the 2016-17 season.
UNC alumni have also been thrust into leadership roles on the gridiron. Because the Chicago Bears' recent seasons have been defined by shaky quarterback play — and tenured quarterback Jay Cutler has been released from the Bears' roster — former Tar Heel Mitchell Trubisky is on the verge of establishing himself as an offensive leader for the Bears.
Trubisky, the second pick in the 2017 NFL draft, is familiar with being brought into a leadership role shaped by a former player. At UNC, Trubisky started his career behind Marquise Williams. But as a junior, Trubisky fully took over the position and started all 13 games, throwing for 3,748 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions.
With the Bears, Trubisky is stepping into a position that Cutler's inconsistency defined for years and that Mike Glennon manned for the first three games of this season. But, unlike Cutler or Glennon, the Bears have rallied around Trubisky. The Mentor, Ohio, native has gone 2-1 in his first three starts.
Trubisky managed to avoid mistakes the former starters made, but this may be due to the fact that he has only had 48 total pass attempts as a starter. In a win against the Panthers on Sunday, Trubisky attempted seven passes and completed four.
The team’s failure to execute offensively has positioned the Bears as 27th in the league in total yards and 29th in passing yards, relying mostly on their defense throughout their 3-4 season.
With a lack of supporting cast — the Bears’ best receiver so far may be former NC A&T running back Tarik Cohen — Trubisky is going to have to be a playmaker whenever run-oriented head coach John Fox gives him the chance. If Fox were to expand Trubisky's role, and the quarterback keeps winning and making passes like this, he could become the answer to Chicago's offensive questions.
