J.J. Barea is perhaps the most annoying player in the league, in a good way; especially when it comes to fans of basketball teams opposing the Dallas Mavericks. When players like Andrew Bynum decide to cheap shot (video!) him like the Los Angeles Lakers center did on Sunday just prior to the Mavs completing the sweep, then, Barea understands where he's coming from.
"It happens," Barea told ESPN Dallas's Jeff Caplan on Monday. "I'm the guy that takes it in there. It happens sometimes in basketball. You've just got to be ready for it."
Well, it really shouldn't happen in basketball and there's really no reason to be ready for Bynum to deliver an elbow to the ribs rather than defending the play intelligently, but it's good that Barea isn't taking it too hard. He's also ready to continue to do what he's doing well, especially if it works.
"Awesome," Barea said. "I just wanted to give it all to my teammates to get a win so I made sure I came off the bench with a lot of energy. The pick-and-rolls were working and we were running them a lot."
Hopefully Barea keeps doing what he does well, whether it's against the Oklahoma City Thunder or Memphis Grizzlies, in the Western Conference Finals.