José Juan Barea is more than seven thousand kilometers from Dallas, but from Madrid he closely follows his eternal Mavericks.
So close that even in the midst of preparing to make his debut in the ACB League, in Spain, with Movistar Estudiantes this Wednesday, he has already called several times for the losing streak of six consecutive losses his former team has in the regular season . season of the NBA.
“The Mavericks I follow them. That will be my team forever, so I follow them, ”Barea admitted THE SPOKESMAN hours before the Mavericks fell by a point, 109-108, against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.
The excellent Mayaguez point guard acknowledged that “things are currently going badly” for the Texan team and spoke to a number of members of the team, including the star of the franchise, Slovenian Luka Doncic.
“I spoke to a few players and gave my advice from here. Luka is the one I’ve talked to the most. I gave him a few tips and a few small things to keep him positive. I also spoke with one of the trainers and one of the coaches ”, Barea explains.
“They are currently in a bad phase. But it’s things that happen. I’ve been there before and they need to find a way to stay together and get out of that bad streak, ”added the 36-year-old Canastero.
The Mavericks haven’t won since January 22, when they beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-117, with Doncic’s double-double of 36 points and 11 assists.
They have since lost to Houston, Denver, Utah (twice) and Phoenix (twice). Their record is 8-13 and they are fourth in the Southwest Division and 13th in the Conference.
Doncic has publicly expressed frustration by reporting that the team is no longer interested in losing. On Monday, Doncic missed the victory shot over the horn against the Suns and his anger was monumental. Next Wednesday they will visit the Atlanta Hawks.
According to Barea, Mavericks lack rhythm and chemistry.
“Last year we got to a point where we had a good rhythm, so they have to look for that. If not, it will be a long season. They don’t have the rhythm and chemistry that we had last year, that everything flowed and everything became easier for us. This year, when they play, I see it is difficult for them. And I don’t think they have found that rhythm yet, ”he said.
The Mavericks abandoned Barea’s services before the start of the 2020-2021 season, but guaranteed him the more than two million contract he previously signed.
Barea played 14 seasons in the NBA, 11 of them with Dallas and three with Minnesota.
Next Wednesday, he will make his debut in Spain, where he hopes to show his best level in trying to get a new contract in the NBA, even though it is a long way from Dallas.