This should probably go in the hangout, but I got to play a pick up game with JJ Barea at a Lifetime Fitness in Allen (northwest of Dallas near 75 and 121). Two of his childhood friends from Puerto Rico play up there all the time, and I had to guard JJ on several possessions. I tell people that I'm 5'11 all the time and get laughed at because I am barely 5'10, but I am taller than JJ Barea who is taller than Aaron Brooks. JJ was one of those players who could never breathe under Avery Johnson. Now that Avery's gone, maybe to be replaced by Rick Carlisle, do you guys see a chance for JJ in Dallas as J-Kidd's backup at point, and sometimes back up to Jason Terry? Or do you see the Mavs front office making a move in another direction? JJ is a restricted free agent, and we have four PGs under contract, so I didn't bother suggesting a trade to Houston. But you can.
He is uber quick, and could thrive in the right type of system. I am preplexed by the Carlisle hiring, I never thought of him as an offensively oriented coach. Avery apparently was a tyrant, and the team hated him at the end..... Not sure about JJ.....but with Kidd there, I suspect he gets his chance..... DD
No coach is going to be long term successful in Dallas. It will simply be a stroke of luck, a magical coming together at the right moments if they win a championship. And frankly, I don't see it happening. Cuban is too involved and he's too impulsive. He is turning the Mavs into the Oakland Raiders of the NBA. That is to say, the head coach is always looking over his shoulder wondering what the owner is gonna do next.
Yes, the same thing that allowed Cuban to turn the team around quickly also screws them over from winning a championship. They should have beaten Miami, that was their chance, now they are going to be lower rung playoff performers for the next few years. DD
I wouldn't mind giving him a look. He certainly can score -- was the leading scorer in the 03 World Junior Championship, over 30pts a game, better than other participants like Deron Williams, Bogut, Yi and Kleiza.
Saying Cuban turned around Dallas is like saying Alexander turned around Houston. The team already had the core pieces.
Highly disagree. The Mavericks were nothing before Cuban. Cuban involved his fans with the community, the fan experience, and his blog. I give Cuban high marks for putting Dallas on the NBA map. He took gambles on crazy schemes like hiring Don Nelson and taking a chance on Dirk. Under most owners, Dirk would not have been drafted nor would Nelson be given the reigns to run his team so liberally. I like Les, but Cuban's done more.
You should know that Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Steve Nash, and Don Nelson were all Mavericks before Cuban purchased the franchise.
JJ Barea may do better under Carlisle, maybe not, but that isn't saying much. He will never be an impact player in the NBA and will be lucky to ever make anyone's rotation. On Carlisle's offense, he is VERY controlling but he knows what he's doing. He will lay out the plan and the players will understand. Avery Johnson's offense was sporadic, inefficient and depended too much on individuality. All of that will come to a screeching halt! On Cuban and the Mavs, they really missed their opportunity when it was 2-0 in the Finals and they had a 13 point lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in game 3. Wade went ballistic and the rest is history. That is the greatest lost opportunity for an NBA championship ever. Last season was another letdown but I'm not sure the Mavs would have won the whole thing if they had beaten Golden State. I said the whole year they weren't as talented as their record indicated. I also said before this season even started was that the Mavs blew their chance and this season was a lost cause. They needed to shake the team up last summer but didn't.
This may be harsh, but I see him the same as Scottie Brooks back in the day. Nice player, but he's a bench warmer / cheerleader.
Yeah that's what I want to know. You played against an NBA PG, who's lightning quick, how did you do? Or would you rather not talk about it?
AJ gave JJ as much if not more of a chance than any other coach in the league would have. Avery was high on JJ from the moment they brought him in as a rookie FA. If not for Avery, JJ would be bouncing around the league on 10days and maybe playing in Europe.
Too small, we already have one, and there is something about that guy I can't stand, sort of like Howard and Terry. They are all annoying without trying. The smirk, the teeth, the attitude, something: I don't like them.
I had to guard JJ on two possessions after my teammate who was guarding JJ tried to go over a screen to chase JJ around the screen (I made him switch). On one of those plays, I blocked a pass that JJ tried to make down to the ground and came up with the steal. On the other play I was guarding an opponent on the right wing and had to collapse to the basket to try and stop a layup. I stopped the layup, and fouled the ****e out of JJ in the process (not a flagrant, but JJ was b****ing). On another I was chasing JJ down the court, got some ground on him, and made him think about whether I would undercut a layup if decided to make one. JJ, while hauling arse, looked over his shoulder to see where I was, and then dunked the ball. I did set a few (okay, two) choice screens on JJ that got us some easy 14 ft. jumpshots. JJ did more than impress me with that dunk. He knows how to make a difficult pass look easy (bounce passes through traffic on a fast break), taking and regularly making stop-and-pop midrange shots, and crossing the ball over with a purpose. His speed is as quick as anything I've ever seen, and I've played a little bit at Fonde in the summers when I was going to UH, and have seen and have played with a few pros. They've got nothing on JJ's quickness. My thoughts on JJ is that he can be a setup guy with his driving and penetration, but that you can't count on him to make it happen from the perimeter, save for the open 3-ball that JJ won't hesitate to take and won't miss more than he makes. JJ needs to watch Sam Cassell's midrange game video. JJ's ups can compenate for the difference in height between him and Sammy.
JJ couldn't be a nicer guy. He was at the gym to play, but he took 5 minutes to goof around with my stepson (JJ had him show his crossover).
AJ liked Devin Harris, but wanted a PG who didn't need the coach to call in plays for him. So they got Kidd. If JJ doesn't stay in Dallas, he'll be in the NBA next season. Count on that.
I did, actually. Of the 12 buckets we scored (we were playing to 15 and lost), I had 2-3 assists (3 if you don't take one away because my teammate took two dribbles after catching my pass and before going up for and making an uncontested layup).
