I want to thank J.J. Barea for, consistently, having among the best free-throwing shooting expressions of an NBA player. If the Mavericks camera people zoom in on him while he’s doing it, which they usually do, that means I don’t have to worry about finding other suitiable thumbnail images. The image you see today is slightly before the final form of his face, before the lips are fully pursed and before the eyes are heavily-browed.
While I’m thanking him for his visage, Mavericks fans are thanking him for being the best backup PG in the league. Normally I don’t agree with homerific home commentators on whatever optimistic takes they have for their players, but I do with this one. He’s so good. I don’t know how he’s so good, because he’s old-ish and short, but he is. Every contorted basket is a treat.
And while Mavericks fans are thanking him for that, Timberwolves fans are thanking him for finally leaving and taking his bricky crappy bricks elsewhere. They didn’t like him, for reasons, and while they may have forgotten their dislike over the years, I have not forgotten. I still remember the social media posts, so full of vitriol.