J.J. Barea Should Start For Remainder Of Season

In the midst of their fight for a playoff spot, the Dallas Mavericks have been getting a big boost from J.J. Barea.

With roughly a week and a half left in the 2015-16 regular season, the Dallas Mavericks are still looking to secure a spot in the playoffs.

With Chandler Parsons out for the season due to a torn meniscus and with Deron Williams (sports hernia) and Raymond Felton (groin) sidelined, the Mavs have been in search of a guard that can provide reliable offense, as well as a touch of playmaking, to make their search for a playoff spot a little bit easier.

Their help has come in the form of J.J. Barea. So far this season, Barea has started in 12 games, and the 31-year-old has proved to be key for a Mavs team searching for answers.

The Mavs are 6-6 when he starts this season, but whether the game has ended in a win or a loss, he has not let off of the gas as some of his best outings have come as the starting point guard for the team.

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On Dec. 23, Barea exploded for a career-high 32 points and 11 assists in his first start of the season, leading to a much-needed Mavs win against the Brooklyn Nets. Just two nights later, Barea added in another 26 points and five assists as the Mavs took down the Chicago Bulls.

Continuing his trend of big games, he dropped 23 points and six assists on the Golden State Warriors, as the Mavs handed them their second loss of the season in a 114-91 blowout on Dec. 30. Skipping ahead to Jan. 13, Barea had 18 points and six assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game where the starters rested.

Over the course of the next two months, Barea would start just one time. He wouldn’t get the nod again until Mar. 25, when he scored 21 points, along with Mar. 27 and Apr. 1, when he scored 14 and 29 points respectively.

Even though Barea has been great in other games this season, he seems to be so much more active when he is in the starting lineup. When he starts, he averages 17.4 points per game and 5.0 assists per game to go along with 50 percent shooting from the field and 49 percent shooting from the three-point line.

Head coach Rick Carlise, who has been giving Barea an average of 31.0 minutes per game when he starts, had this to say about his recent play (via Mavs.com):

"“He’s always aggressive and he has an approach that’s consistent, so he gives himself a chance to be successful out there. I think the other reason that he’s having significant success in these last two games is his defensive intensity is up a notch. He’s picking guys up fullcourt, he’s being an agitator on defense and making it difficult for the opponent.”"

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The fact that Barea has stepped up his game is huge for the Mavs right now due to the issues that could be in the future.  The possibility of him becoming one of the only true point guards left on the roster is very real as Deron Williams’ hernia could require surgery, though he remains optimistic that he can return.

However, even if he is able to come back at some point in time, Rick Carlisle should let Barea keep his starting position on the team. With his hot streak recently, it would make no sense to pull him out of the starting lineup for a guy that has dealt with injury all season and could potentially still be recovering from one then.

Sure, the Mavs might miss out of some of William’s unique passing and playmaking, but as long as Barea continues to prove that he is capable of running the show at point guard, I would give him the opportunity to help the team.

There’s always the possibility that they both get to start. With Parsons out, the Mavs have often opted to go with a three-guard starting lineup, consisting of Williams, Matthews and one of the point guards from the bench, which could be Barea.

Whatever Rick Carlisle does with the lineup, I think one thing is obvious: J.J. Barea becomes a major factor if he is starting.