One of the growing trends with this disappointing 10-10 start for the Celtics has been their inability to contain point guards. They’ve been torched by the likes of Kemba Walker, Jamal Murray, and Devin Booker and last night in Dallas, it J.J. Barea’s turn. The 6’0 guard out of Northeastern didn’t put up 40-plus, but his 20 points and 8 rebounds would be the difference in what was otherwise a competitive game.
In particular, Barea was a surgeon dissecting the Celtics’ pick-and-roll defense. The 34-year-old guard doesn’t exactly have the size and speed to take defenders off the dribble, but the crafty veteran is an expert at taking advantage of the weakest of cracks and grooves presented to him.