Mavs Spotlight - J.J. Barea (Offseason Edition)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Spotlight - J.J. Barea (Offseason Edition)

"Mavs Spotlight" is a series of exclusive one-on-one video interviews conducted by Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed with various Dallas Mavericks players and coaches. In this edition, reserve guard J.J. Barea talks about the backup point guard competition and his desire to play for the Puerto Rico National Team.

The shortest player on the Mavericks' roster embodies so much in his 6-foot frame.

Barea, a fan favorite for his grittiness and offensive spark off the Dallas bench, has been instrumental in the Mavs' success in recent seasons. But not even Barea's toughness and heart was able to will his squad in its 4-2 series defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

"We just had bad luck in the first round of the playoffs," Barea said. "It's disappointing, but you've got to move on...We needed to score over 100 every game and we weren't doing that. We were trying to play that grind-out game against the Spurs. That wasn't going to work."

This season, the Puerto Rico native got a little competition for the duties of the second-string point guard behind veteran Jason Kidd.

With the emergence of rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Barea has a challenger for the title of "point guard of the future," though neither player looks at it that way. Instead, Barea is willing to lend a helping hand to his first-year teammate, assisting the young pro's maturation process.

"Roddy (Beaubois) is a great person. He has great character, so it's easy to be supportive and to help him out," Barea explained.

Now, while Beaubois will try to better himself in Summer League, Barea will look to do the same when he suits up for his native country in international play.

"I love to play for Puerto Rico...This summer, I definitely want to play. We're going to have a long summer, so I have time to rest, I have time to work out and I have time to play," Barea said.

Hear more of what the Mavs' spark plug of the bench had to say:

In case you missed it, here's what Jason Terry, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Rick Carlisle and Roddy Beaubois said, as they head into the offseason.

The series concludes Saturday, when "EKS" chats with Brendan Haywood. For all of your off-season news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavs Spotlight - Roddy Beaubois (Offseason Edition)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Spotlight - Roddy Beaubois (Offseason Edition)

"Mavs Spotlight" is a series of exclusive one-on-one video interviews conducted by Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed with various Dallas Mavericks players and coaches. In this edition, standout rookie Rodrigue Beaubois talks about how he plans to get better in the offseason.

Perhaps no player did more with his opportunities on the floor than Beaubois.

The former French League product and Guadeloupe native appeared in just 56 games and averaged just 7.1 points and 1.0 assists during his limited time on the court. But the first-year budding star did start for the Mavericks in 16 games, at times showcasing a rare ability to score with ease above the rim and from behind the arch.

Proof of Beaubois' promising future was on display during his career-high, 40-point explosion against Golden State on March 27. He once again shined in the postseason, pouring in 16 points in just 21 minutes to help the Mavericks overcome a double-digit deficit, before eventually falling 97-87 in a season-ending Game 6 defeat to conclude Dallas' first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs.

"Roddy Beaubois has done some great things this year, and has done a good job of taking advantage of his opportunities," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.

But Beaubois was also the forgotten man on the Mavs' bench at times, struggling to crack the rotation as most rookies do. While the young guard sat, a love affair between the Dallas fans and the 22-year-old developed, wanting to see No. 3 in action.

"I guess I have to work a lot, because if I didn't play more it's because I didn't show enough things," Beaubois said.

Now both the coach and the player have a plan for this summer.

While Beaubois saw must of his time at the shooting guard spot during his rookie season, his focus will be more at the point guard position, learning how to lead a team when he plays in the upcoming Summer League.

"Going forward, he needs to spend more time this summer in Summer League playing the point guard position...We need him to enhance his knowledge of the point guard position," Carlisle said.

"This summer will be very important for me. I really need to work on my game and my body, everything. And just come into Training Camp ready to go," Beaubois added.

Hear more of what the future star had to say:

In case you missed it, here's what Jason Terry, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Rick Carlisle said, as they head into the offseason.

The series continues Friday, when "EKS" chats with J.J. Barea. For all of your off-season news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavs Spotlight - Rick Carlisle (Offseason Edition)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Spotlight - Rick Carlisle (Offseason Edition)


"Mavs Spotlight" is a series of exclusive one-on-one video interviews conducted by Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed with various Dallas Mavericks players and coaches. In this installment, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle addresses the team's future and the summer plans for rookie Rodrigue Beaubois.

As he entered his second season at the helm, Carlisle believed that his squad had all of the necessary ingredients needed for a championship recipe. The coach then had little doubt that his squad would be raising the Larry O'Brien trophy by season's end, once the organization brought in Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson via a seven-player trade with Washington over the All-Star break.

"The trade with Washington has been a big positive for us. It helped our overall toughness. I thought it put more of the right kind of players around Dirk (Nowitzki)," the coach said.

Carlisle also watched first-hand as a first-year pro out of Guadeloupe showed glimpses of being a centerpiece of the team's future plans. While the head man on the sideline loved what he saw from Beaubois in limited usage at the guard positions, he has big plans for the rookie this offseason.

"Roddy Beaubois has done some great things this year, and has done a good job of taking advantage of his opportunities. Going forward, he needs to spend more time this summer in Summer League playing the point guard position...We need him to enhance his knowledge of the point guard position," Carlisle said.

But despite the emergence of Beaubois and the additions of the trio from Washington, the season still ended in heartbreak for both the coach and his players. The 55-win Southwest Division champs fell in just six games to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

Though he liked what he saw during the regular season, Carlisle has devoted his entire offseason to helping the Mavs get over the hump next year.

"I'm going to spend a lot of time studying the team, working with the guys and trying to get things better. Next year will be here before we know it...Right now, we've got to lick our wounds, and pick up the pieces and then circle the wagons. And then get the most out of this summer and go forward from there," Carlisle said.

Hear more of what the coach had to say:

In case you missed it, here's what Jason Terry, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki said, as they head into the offseason.

The series continues Thursday, when "EKS" chats with Rodrigue Beaubois. For all of your off-season news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavs Spotlight - Dirk Nowitzki (Offseason Edition)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Spotlight - Dirk Nowitzki (Offseason Edition)

"Mavs Spotlight" is a series of exclusive one-on-one video interviews conducted by Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed with various Dallas Mavericks players and coaches. In this edition, Dirk Nowitzki talks about finishing another season without a championship and whether or not he will opt out of his contract for free agency.

Nowitzki made it clear when he addressed the team in September to start training camp. He is all about winning an NBA title at this point in his career.

After the nine-time All-Star and former MVP fell short of that goal with a first-round series loss to San Antonio, thoughts of this season quickly faded away and the attention turned immediately to next year for the 7-footer.

"It's another disappointing season to me," Nowitzki said. "At this stage in my career, losing first, second or third round is all the same. As long as I don't achieve my goal and my dream, that means it was another disappointing season."

But the season was not completely lost for the star from Germany.

Nowitzki did become the only Mav and the first European-born player to surpass 20,000 points for his career. He also finished as the league's seventh-leading scorer in the regular season, averaging right at 25.0 points per game. That number jumped to 26.7 points in the playoffs against San Antonio, albeit in a series loss.

"That's where the disappointment is. You get a guy who is pure basketball heart. He'd do anything to win any ball game and he wouldn't care how many points he scored," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle explained. "That's what really makes him special, along with the other things (Dallas fans and media members) have seen on a daily basis for over a decade. The shotmaking, the plays, the threes...All that stuff."

But now the question becomes how much longer will the Dallas faithful get to watch Nowitzki play his home games at the American Airlines Center, as the star contemplates joining the heralded 2010 free agent class.

"He's the cornerstone of the franchise. I'd say there's probably a 98-percent chance of him coming back," Jason Terry said after teaming with Nowitzki for six seasons.

Nowitzki, however, is not rushing to any decision, knowing that he has until July to scratch his brain before hopefully returning to Big D.

"I always said I want to finish my career in Dallas, but I've still got some thinking to do. I never planned on opting out, but I have to keep my options open," the team's all-time leading scorer said.

Hear more of what No. 41 had to say:

In case you missed it, here's what Jason Terry, Caron Butler and Shawn Marion said, as they head into the offseason.

The series continues Wednesday, when "EKS" chats with Rick Carlisle. For all of your off-season news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavs Spotlight - Shawn Marion (Offseason Edition)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Spotlight - Shawn Marion (Offseason Edition)

"Mavs Spotlight" is a series of exclusive one-on-one video interviews conducted by Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed with various Dallas Mavericks players and coaches. In this edition, Shawn Marion says the team will learn from its first-round defeat to San Antonio and come back stronger next season.

Perhaps no player sacrificed more than Marion to help the squad contend for an NBA championship. The former All-Star put his offensive numbers aside and concentrated on the defensive end of the floor, locking up some of the game's best perimeter scorers all season long.

"He's sacrificed so much of his game this year -- to be one of the best defenders, to get rebounds, to be a screener and a movement-maker," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said when praising the star during the season. "Every week I tell him how important he is to us, and how much as a coach I appreciate what he's done this year. He is the guy who's made the biggest adjustment of any of the new guys we got."

The versatile forward also slid throughout the lineup, spending time at a multitude of positions for the team over the course of the season, even playing center for the "small ball" unit.

But after watching his team fall in six games to San Antonio, Marion heads into the summer with a new focus. The veteran will once again be thirsty for a title, only this time he will be serving up daily reminders to his teammates of the heartbreak of not reaching the mountaintop this season.

"You have to take the good with the bad. You have to learn from it, and you just have to come back more hungrier. You get a taste of certain things, and you just want to go out there and do it," Marion said.

In case you missed it, here's what Jason Terry and Caron Butler had to say, as they head into the offseason.

The series continues Tuesday, when "EKS" chats with Dirk Nowitzki. For all of your off-season news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavs Spotlight - Caron Butler (Offseason Edition)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Spotlight - Caron Butler (Offseason Edition)

"Mavs Spotlight" is a series of exclusive one-on-one video interviews conducted by Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed with various Dallas Mavericks players and coaches. In the second installment, newcomer Caron Butler talks about the bright future he sees in Dallas.

After escaping both the cellar of the standings and the dark cloud hovering over the Washington Wizards due to Gilbert Arenas' gun possession charges, Butler says he has finally found a home with the Mavericks. And the two-time All-Star played like he was at home.

Though his scoring average slipped from 16.9 points per contest in his 47 games with Washington to 15.2 in 27 outings for the Mavericks, the versatile swingman caught fire in the playoffs. "CB4" averaged 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 steals in Dallas' first-round exit at the hands of San Antonio. It was just a preview to what Butler believes he will show Mavs fans next season.

"I hit a nice stride in the playoffs, and I was finding out what was expected of me and what my role was. I look forward to seeing what's going to happen next year," Butler said.

Now, the former Connecticut standout focuses on an offseason headlined by the expected arrival of a new baby. Butler will also make time to meet up with his former high school teammate, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. That is when he's not bettering his game on the practice court.


In case you missed it, here's what sixth man Jason Terry had to say as he heads into the offseason.

The series continues Monday, when "EKS" chats with Shawn Marion. For all of your off-season news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.