J.J. Barea vs. the Spurs
By Mike Fisher at DB.com
That familiar black sleeve/brace Jose Juan Barea’s been wearing over his left shoulder? You may have seen the last of it.
On Thursday, Mavericks guard JJB underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a cartilage injury to his left shoulder – the injury he played through with the help of that protective brace.
The surgery was performed in Dallas by Dr. Richard Levy of Texas Sports Medicine.
JJB has doubled his scoring output in each of his three NBA seasons, this year averaging 7.8 ppg while emerging as a part-time starter (15 times) in the backcourt.
A dozen times this season he scored 15 points or more, at different moments earning enough respect from the opponent that he found himself guarded by the likes of Kobe Bryant and Bruce Bowen. He was pivotal in the 4-1 first-round handling of the Spurs, scoring at least nine points four times, all while wearing that brace.
His shoulder was an issue at least twice over the course of the season. ... yet The Inch-High Point-Guard Guy somehow missed just three games all year.
The 5-11 native of Puerto Rico became a crowd favorite at the American Airlines Center while playing 20.3 minutes per game, dishing out 3.4 assists, and repeatedly being termed “fearsome’’
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
