Dallas Mavericks: J.J. Barea finishes 6th in Teammate of the Year voting

Dallas Mavericks: J.J. Barea finishes sixth in Teammate of the Year voting

Dallas Mavericks shifted J.J. Barea to a new role this season. For the first time since 2008, he was not the primary backup point guard and not in the nightly rotation. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle would insert Barea only when Dallas needed a spark. It allowed the veteran to average 7.7 points and 3.9 assists in 15.5 minutes per, but he only saw action in 29 games.

Barea never seemed to let it impact him. He was always talking with teammates during timeouts and stoppages in play. The 36-year-old led from the bench. His relationship with Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic seemed strong as the veteran would often be seen telling him what he saw in specific scenarios. It was fantastic to see Barea staying locked in despite not being in the rotation.

That incredible skill earned J.J. an honor on Oct. 6. Let us examine further.

Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea finishes sixth in Teammate of the Year voting

The NBA announced the final voting totals for the 2019-2020 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award. Pelicans guard and former All-Star Jrue Holiday took home the award that is supposed to go to the “best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.”

Mavericks guard J.J. Barea finished tied for sixth in the voting with Spurs guard Patty Mills. The 36-year-old received 16 first-place votes for the award.

Barea would not have been the first Mav to win Teammate of the Year. Dirk Nowitzki won in 2017 and former Maverick Vince Carter took home the honors in 2016 when he played for Memphis.

It came out after the season that Barea was not happy with his new role. Nobody knows if he returns next season. It would be a massive loss to the Mavericks locker room and team chemistry. Having veterans at the end of the bench is important to a winning team. It will be a story to monitor this offseason for all Dallas Mavericks supporters, so stay tuned.