J.J. Barea: Good Acquisition, Frustrating Results

David Kahn showed some business sense when he went out and acquired insurance for incoming point guard Ricky Rubio.
An altogether new lifestyle and new language faced Rubio when he arrived in Minneapolis prior to the start of the season. To simultaneously help hasten and accommodate the proclaimed point guard of the future, Kahn acquired Spanish-speaking and Puerto Rican-born J.J. Barea.
The 6-foot veteran point guard is a high energy player who was considered to be an x-factor during Dallas' run to a title last season.
If Rubio struggled early, Barea would be a viable option for the Wolves, in addition to the returning Luke Ridnour, at the point.
The team chemistry move for Barea was brilliant on Kahn's part, especially since Rubio has been so fantastic -- he was named Rookie of the Month for January.
When it comes to Barea's own production, however, a lot is amiss.
In fact, the Wolves would quite possibly be better off without him.
Barea has been hampered by various leg injuries for much of the season.
The Wolves are 2-5 in the seven games he has played versus 8-7 in the 15 he has missed.
During his collegiate career at Northeastern, Barea shot anything and everything, en route to leading the country in shot percentage; he took more than 38 percent of his team's attempts.
Relegated to a backup role in the NBA, Barea hasn't had the opportunity to become a full-fledged black hole.
But it's still pretty bad.
Barea settles for a lot of 3s early in the shot clock and is notorious for driving wildly into the teeth of the defense. He often throws up prayers at the rim hoping Newton's laws of motion or the referees and their whistles will bail him out.
Most of the time, they don't.
Overall, he is shooting below 38 percent on the year, yet it is he who leads the team in shots per minute played, at a touch under .5.
Not even the proclaimed ball-hog and inconsistent Michael Beasley shoots at that rate (.454).
There's the defensive woes, too.
Barea has a negative plus/minus when out on the floor because of his small stature, this coming from a guy who has played for good teams throughout his career.
Beside, Minnesota has a lot of depth.
Coach Rick Adelman is admittedly tasked with finding playing time for all of his contributors.
One solution would be to let Barea ride the bench and simply be a cultural mentor to Rubio.