Jose Juan Barea taking over the NBA.

[metrocard]

http://www.interbasket.net/news/530/2008/12/10/jj-barea-coming-up-big-for-dallas-mavericks/

Dirk Nowitzki may have won the most recent NBA player of the week, and will get much of the credit for leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 3-0 week after putting up 30.7 points and 10 rebounds, but it hasn’t gone without notice that Jose Juan Barea that has provided the much-needed spark.

With Josh Howard’s bum ankle taking him out of the lineup, Rick Carlisle tried a multitude of starting combinations, experimenting with Gerald Green, Antonie Wright, and James Singleton in the starting five.

Those combinations didn’t produce the results he was looking for, so Carlisle finally settled on pairing the sub-six-foot Barea and Jason Kidd in the backcourt.

Bastardized Lineup pays dividends
The move to pair up point guards was a definite gamble, but it was the only roster change that showed positive results on the court. And it’s injected new life and raised the energy of a stagnant Dallas team that started the season 2-7, including a brutal five-game losing streak.

Even towards the end of the game of the last three, the Mavs have had Jason Terry in the mix, making for a three-guard lineup - a mix that Carlisle lovingly calls the “bastardized lineup”

Barea has played over 20 minutes in just six games this season, and it’s no coincidence that it happens to be the last six games the Mavs have played. He’s also started the last three.

The 5-11 guard from Puerto Rico has averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 assists (with only 1.2 turnovers), shot 50% from the field, 41.7% from three, and 80% from the line during the six-game stretch.

“I love Barea,” Rick Carlisle said on local Dallas radio station. “He’s a little guy that battles. He just battles his butt off, cares about the team, cares about winning, all that stuff.”

Dallas has won four of those six games, only losing to the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs last night (in double OT).

The fiery Barea hasn’t just been putting up good stats, he’s also been produing when it matters. In the last four games Barea hit a game-winning three against the Clippers (W), scored 9 fourth quarter points against Phoenix (W), put up 16 points in a decisive third quarter against the Hawks (W), and 13-fourth-quarter-points to force overtime against the Spurs (L).

Long Road to now
This is Barea’s third year in the league and it hasn’t been an easy road for J.J.

Even though Barea was the CAA Player of the Year and averaged 21 points, 8.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals, he went undrafted out of Northeastern University, mostly because scouts were concerned of whether a 5-11 guard could replicate that success in the pros.

From there, Barea took to the Portsmouth NBA Draft Camp, where he was named camp MVP and set the camp record by totaling 41 assists over three games (13.6 assists per). He would also play in the NBA summer league; dominating and running a unique floor game that saw constant aggression; basically dribbling the ball around until he was able to create a shot for himself or his teammates - and was hugely successful - Barea was picked up by the Dallas Mavericks in 2006.

With that type of energy and mindset, it’s no wonder Nowitzki calls Barea the ‘Puerto Rico A.I.”

“He’s fearless. Fearless,” Dirk Nowitzki said. “(Barea) gets in there. He’s small, but for some reason, he’s a great finisher. He always finds the seams and gets to the cup. He’s a great finisher. If there are people in there, he can pass the ball out. I just really like that he’s in attack mode.”

Tony Parker on J.J. Barea: 'He looked a little bit like Steve Nash'
2:59 PM Wed, Dec 10, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

barea10.jpgYou could certainly consider Tony Parker an expert on lightning-quick point guards. The Spurs' blur was pretty impressed by J.J. Barea's 21-point, five-assist performance last night.

"It looked like he was franchise out there," Parker said. "He was running every single play. He looked a little bit like Steve Nash, dribbling like 100 times. Sometimes it's tough to guard that because you never know what he's going to do."

Barea hasn't displayed anything close to the court vision that makes Nash so special, but you can see the comparison of their 100-mph styles of play. And, given where Nash was as a 24-year-old, it's really not too ridiculous.

That was Nash's first season in Dallas, during which he got booed mercilessly at Reunion Arena. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 assists in 40 games (all starts) that season. Barea is averaging 7.4 ppg and 2.7 apg this season (20.3 ppg and 4.3 apg in three starts).

http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/tony-parker-on-jj-barea-he-looked-a-litt.html

 

[JayJ44]

I could see this kid being like Tony Parker, except a better shooter. Dallas got a major steal here. Wish we could have got him...

 

[knickzrulezH20]

I could see this kid being like Tony Parker, except a better shooter. Dallas got a major steal here. Wish we could have got him...

i dont want to overrate or underrate this guy because i havent seen him play, but ive seen some impressive box score numbers. and if he becomes as good as u guys say he'll be then i think that will somewhat make up for losin d-harris lol

 

[TunerAddict]

I liked the kid before he had this success...Games I'd seen him play in impressed me...


Too bad the only reason this is even on this forum is because he is Puerto Rican and Metro can't not hype someone who is Rican on here...

Shame that its only that reason that he has been mentioned on here, because he really deserves to be...

 

[metrocard]

I followed Barea for most of his career, now he's becoming a productive NBA player...from consistantly proving his doubters wrong from Miami Christian to Northeastern to Portsmouth...to NBA summer league...to NBA preseason and to now.

A lot of people said he wouldn't have a shot in the NBA, now he's doing it.

TurnerAddict, go eat a dick.

I rep Barea because he's a hard working PR player who plays to win unlike the other players on the national team, he's a new breed of PR basketball talent.

Its a shame you consistantly make bad point that spoil every thread on this site. Go take a vacation.

Maybe if you did see him play before you would of mention him instead of riding so much dick on this site.

Peace.

 

[Knicks4Life_1985]

he is a damn good player too bad he is on the mavs

 

[TunerAddict]

I followed Barea for most of his career, now he's becoming a productive NBA player...from consistantly proving his doubters wrong from Miami Christian to Northeastern to Portsmouth...to NBA summer league...to NBA preseason and to now.

A lot of people said he wouldn't have a shot in the NBA, now he's doing it.

TurnerAddict, go eat a dick.

I rep Barea because he's a hard working PR player who plays to win unlike the other players on the national team, he's a new breed of PR basketball talent.

Its a shame you consistantly make bad point that spoil every thread on this site. Go take a vacation.

Maybe if you did see him play before you would of mention him instead of riding so much dick on this site.

Peace.

So you admit to your PR bias? About time...

Shit, you've been sucking so much PR dick anytime a guy comes up.

Try growing up. Racism is childish and so is your pathetic name calling that takes focus away from points being made.

You're a troll plain and simple. You never comment on here unless its pointless drivel or something that you can use to flame other members. When is the last time you contributed something meaningful? When is the last time you actually talked about the Knicks playing, how they were doing in a game, actually hit up a game thread?

But then again, you don't care...And I don't give a **** about you. You're a joke, and we all laugh at you. You're just too thick to get it.

 

[metrocard]

So you admit to your PR bias? About time...

All you do is complain and suck me.

How does it feel to perfectly fit the two nouns commonly known as bitch and homosexual?

When was the last time you made a good post?
Exactly.

Even a hating ass obesssed herb like you know I'm the bomb when breaking down Knicks anaylsis, but I know you miss it.

I also know it BURNS you inside that I could drop ether and you can't come back with shit because all your tendons is made out of pussy and your spinal cord fluid is made out of pussyjuice...you're anatomy is not built for a God like metrocard.

I know you want to me to be good ol' metrocard droppin informatonal and insightful post of the Knicks.

But I'm too focused on me, (as much as you're focused on me), so I rather just clown on mad fags like you.

Peace.

Go Barea, and the rest of PR ballers out there.

Best shooter in the ACC, AD Vassallo of VT Tech
Jonathan Rodriguez @ Cambell best scorer in the Atlantic Sun
Dennis Clemente @ Kansas State fastest player in the NCAA
all my latinos @ Florida International
Javier Gonzalez @ NC State
Edwin Ubiles @ Siena, The most athletic player in the MAAC...Explosive, extremely skilled, multi-position talent... Plays above the rim...Long, lean and bouncy... Can score in a variety of ways...Creative with and without the basketball...Electrifies fans with rim-rocking dunks and lightning-quick first step...Equally effective on the perimeter and off the dribble...Showed great improvement in consistency, defense and shooting in sophomore campaign...Legitimate conference Player of the Year candidate.

Jon Han @ Fairfield
V?ctor D?vila @ VT


Many others.

 

[TunerAddict]

All you do is complain and suck me.

How does it feel to perfectly fit the two nouns commonly known as bitch and homosexual?

When was the last time you made a good post?
Exactly.

Even a hating ass obesssed herb like you know I'm the bomb when breaking down Knicks anaylsis, but I know you miss it.

I also know it BURNS you inside that I could drop ether and you can't come back with shit because all your tendons is made out of pussy and your spinal cord fluid is made out of pussyjuice...you're anatomy is not built for a God like metrocard.

I know you want to me to be good ol' metrocard droppin informatonal and insightful post of the Knicks.

But I'm too focused on me, (as much as you're focused on me), so I rather just clown on mad fags like you.

Peace.

Go Barea, and the rest of PR ballers out there.

Best shooter in the ACC, AD Vassallo of VT Tech
Jonathan Rodriguez @ Cambell best scorer in the Atlantic Sun
Dennis Clemente @ Kansas State fastest player in the NCAA
all my latinos @ Florida International
Javier Gonzalez @ NC State
Edwin Ubiles @ Siena, The most athletic player in the MAAC...Explosive, extremely skilled, multi-position talent... Plays above the rim...Long, lean and bouncy... Can score in a variety of ways...Creative with and without the basketball...Electrifies fans with rim-rocking dunks and lightning-quick first step...Equally effective on the perimeter and off the dribble...Showed great improvement in consistency, defense and shooting in sophomore campaign...Legitimate conference Player of the Year candidate.

Jon Han @ Fairfield
V?ctor D?vila @ VT


Many others.

:teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth:

Thanks. Needed a good laugh.

 

[metrocard]

Sucking me hard, damn.