J.J. Barea was straight up a midrange assassin in this game. He would just get somebody to set a screen for him, run to his spot, and pop his little jumper that he somehow gets off even though defenders usually have about a foot of height on him. Sometimes, instead of the jumper, he would just hit the pick-setter for an assist. It was like watching prime Chris Paul but with way less melanin. Why don’t more players play this way? And why doesn’t Rick Carlisle spam Barea/Jordan pick and rolls until Barea’s arms fall off? Is it because he wants to save Barea for the Barea/Powell pick and rolls?
I’m slightly addled right now because I’ve made too many highlight videos today, but I’m struggling to come up with many backup point guards who are definitely better than 34-year-old Barea. If there are any, it’s not many. Is Shelvin Mack better than Barea? How about Lonzo Ball? Ish Smith? None of these guys are definitely better than my favorite midget Mexican (just kidding. I know he’s really from Costa Rica).
Man. It’s so hard to think right now. Making highlight videos for 24 hours straight can really take a toll on a guy.