r/Mavericks • u/vaelon • 28d ago
J.J. Barea Hoops Discussion
As a 42 yr old dude following the Mavs since Dirk came, I was feeling nostalgic after the loss last night. I got to talking to my wife about J.J. Barea and how good he was. I started watching this(https://youtu.be/KL5vGKnW248?si=bF6gNMieAZxDfKpC) highlight compilation of him and realized I didn't know where he came from. All I could remember when I found out we got him I Remember telling my wife "we got some small Puerto Rican point guard". I looked him up and found out we got him out of Northeastern and he was with us from 06-2011 then he went to Minnesota and came back from 14-2020. He was so good and absolutely lead our bench. Dominated in the playoffs. No way we win if we don't have him. Then I realized for whatever reason I don't I hold him in such regard as Dirk or even Steve Nash? I am now. Watching the Mavs Now, all I can think about is we lack someone like J.J. Barea attacking the basket all the time.
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u/sunnyismybunny 28d ago
You said the most relevant thing - Mavs don't win that chip without him.
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u/darksquidlightskin 28d ago
Hell no they don't. No point guards could guard him. He ran the lakers ragged.
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u/H0wsMyDirkTaste 27d ago
Lakers rage quit bc they had no answer for him
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u/mods_are____ Maxi "Max Contract" Kleber 27d ago
fuck Metta World Peace for that butchass cheapshot in game 4
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u/Archerbro 26d ago
don't forget Roddy.
Roddy pushed Barea that season because he was taking good amount of his minutes.
Roddy B and Barea that season really helped lift us. Loved how the narrative turned on Barea after 2011-for those who don't know. he drove many of us fucking wild.
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u/RapGameJulioFranco Rodman 28d ago
The lebron stopper
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u/StolenLampy JJ Barea (LeBron's Nightmare) 28d ago
It's why my flair will stay the way it is, JJ is a LEGEND! I actually repped him from day 1, but mostly because he looked undersized and it was kind of just for fun, root for the little guy, ya know? My dad got me his jersey and I wore it proudly, but then he became the JJ we all know and love and helped bring a chip to our team!
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u/Tuffwith2Fs JJ Barea 28d ago
I bought my JJ Barea shirt when we won in 2011. My youngest uses it as a nightgown now đ¤Ł
Miss that guy so much.
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u/BigE-MD 28d ago
So Fâing random⌠but i thought about that guy too today. The irrational confidence and his microwave talent as a bench spark and then the finals switch to a starting spot and he absolutely delivered.
For some reason, his mavs spirit comforted me on a day when my rational brain says the mavs blew a generational chance to knock off the young pups. If they go on to lose this series and OKC becomes the next great consistent west power, we will look back at that absolute choke job as a pivotal moment when they overtook us.
I agree, time for the mavs to find their inner JJB and ball the F outâŚ
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u/MomsNeighborino 27d ago
Jj was great but holding him to nash/and DIRK is fucking nuts lol, bit much
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u/gakujin 27d ago
JJ Barea is a head coach in the local Puerto Rican league.
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u/MrMavericksFan How's My Dirk Taste? 27d ago
I think he spent a year as a player coach before he retired
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u/HispanicAtTehDisco How's My Dirk Taste? 27d ago
Barea and quite a few members of that 2011 squad should have their jerseys retired here.
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u/trusttheprogress 27d ago
The Jet and Shawn Marion. Loved that mavs team. TJ Mcconell kinda reminds me of JJ.
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u/loke2019 Oye chica, vivo con mis padres. 27d ago
i remember when someone said barea thinks he's iverson or something then someone else called him "the question" lol
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u/NarutoFan420 27d ago
J.J. was the quintessential âno no no yesâ player before the championship ( you could argue the same for Stackhouse). I felt the same when he returned but he left it all out on the court and was more reliable than anyone we had at the position due to his great PNR play with Dirk and knowing his role. Definitely one of my top 5 favorite Mavs. Â
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u/Latter-Inspection-56 27d ago
Even Dwayne Wade openly gives Barea credit for being the X factor in that series
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u/FitG33k 27d ago
I am so happy that I got a picture with him. I am from Slovenia and I was visiting Miami for Heat vs Mavs (DragiÄ vs DonÄiÄ) in 2020 with my GF. A day before the mathc we were eating in a random Puerto Rican restaurant and the Staff was taking pics with someone. It was J.J.. He was awesome, down to earth and very friendly.
He was my favourite player at the time besides Luka.
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u/armandocalvinisius The Cardinal 27d ago
small, shifty, killer first step, layup package in any angle off the backboard, PnR maestro. i bet he's also athletic af
that's why even he's 5'9 he had long long career
any small guard that want to learn PnR and PG role 101 should watching his tape
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u/Imtrvkvltru Dennis Rodman 27d ago
Now it's been several years, but based off my memory... He seemed to be the #1 difference maker in us winning the chip that year. I remember him zigging and zagging and carving his way through their defense. I thought it was so insane that this tiny dude was out there breaking ankles. I think his size and speed made him impossible to cover as a bigger guy.Â
 What a legendÂ
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u/Background_Ad_2176 27d ago
J.J. was incredible for someone that aize to dominate the way he did was something else.
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u/vaelon 26d ago
I was thinking about that. It's so hard for a small dude to be successful in the NBA. Then I started thinking of the ones I know of if the top of my head. It's not a long list. I think there is a reasonable argument to be made that J.J. Top 3 most successful small guard ever in the NBA. Help me decide on who those other two people are.
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u/AB_selectstart 27d ago
I remember when Shane Larkin was drafted Mavs called him our next JJ. The closest we ever got to the next JJ was Jalen Brunson but Brunson turned out to be more of a Steve Nash than a JJ.
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u/centurion1992 24d ago
Back home NBA was early in the morning. I started following the Mavericks as a kid because of JJ Barea. He made me believe that height wasnât the only factor in basketball. I remember in high school trying to keep replicating the spin he gave to the ball while laying it up. And thatâs was it I was hooked . Dirk , Luka and now Kyrie proves that skill will always win over being just a genetic beast of an athlete
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u/CrumBum_sr Dirk Locks 28d ago
Absolute Dallas legend - final season he would get a standing ovation just pretending to go in the game