Minnesota Timberwolves guard J.J. Barea rips fellow players - NBA Update
Coming into the game against Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves knew that they have nothing left to play for other than pride. For Wolves guard Jose Barea this was a cause enough to put in his (what he claims) best effort.
He tallied 14 points and dished out 12 assists to see his team loose for the 12th time in the last 13 games. The 93-88 defeat was unacceptable for the 5’10’’ Barea and he watered down his emotions on the team.
"We've got problems here," Barea told reporters. "We just got a lot of guys that don't care. When a basketball team got a bunch of players that don't care, it's tough to win games. It's going to happen until we get players in that
care: care about winning, care about the team, care about the fans."
Wolves were displaying a promising show before the halftime as they were leading 55-39, but after the regulation their lead and spirit started to dwindle. As a result they were outscored and out matched in every aspect.
Wolves’ offense went on the hibernation mode and as a result Golden state outscored them by 21 in the later half. They shot over 56.8% in the passage and it was difficult to believe that the same Minnesota unit was running haplessly
on the court.
This was a sheer lacklustre effort and Barea didn’t hide his antagonism post game.
"They just come in here after the game like nothing happened," Barea said. "That's what happens to a losing team. I've been noticing it. But today you can really notice it. It was a brutal second half. Nobody fighting, nobody getting
mad at nobody. After a game like that you got to have problems. You got to argue with your teammates. But nobody cares so we've got to change that."
Barea was the only healthy point guard on the team and he knew that has to play a pivotal role in the match. That was the reason he stayed on the court for 48 minutes.
The franchise expected nothing less from him as with the championship ring (that he won during his stay with Dallas Mavericks) comes greater responsibility. However he didn’t really justify his role. He was just 5-of-18 from the
floor and 2-of-9 from down town.
Wolves melted down in the 2nd half but a player of his statute could turn the things around. This is what seasoned players are required to do. They catalyze the show with electrifying shooting and especially clutch shooting.
In the absence of Kevin Love he was supposed to assume that role but he clearly failed.
They have one more game left and the franchise will have a lot of time to reflect upon their weakness and mistakes afterwards.
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