Matt Barnes says he's TRYING LIKE HELL to be a good dad -- but his ex-wife is blocking him from spending precious quality time with his 8-year-old twin boys.
His ex-wife, however, says Barnes is completely full of crap.
It's all in new legal docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which Barnes is begging the judge to completely overhaul his custody arrangement with Gloria Govan.
Look, the point of the legal docs is actually sweet ... two parents who both really want to be involved with their kids.