J.J. Barea and Al-Farouq Aminu saved the Mavericks’ season
Rick Carlisle put both in the starting lineup and they starred in Dallas’ Game 4 victory. If only the Mavericks’ coach had made the move sooner.
Rajon Rondo was banished. Chandler Parsons was injured. Dirk Nowitzki looked old. The series appeared to be over.
But Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle had one final coaching adjustment. It was a makeshift lineup of J.J. Barea and Al-Farouq Aminu, along with Nowitzki, Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler, that nearly won Game 3. That group outscored the Rockets by nine points in eight minutes of playing time during the fourth quarter. In the two games prior, those players shared the court for just one minute.
Game 3 was a small sample, but Carlisle liked what he saw. He decided to give the unit a bigger shot. Raymond Felton and Richard Jefferson, who replaced Rondo and Parsons in the starting lineup in Game 3, were sent to the bench. Barea and Aminu were inserted into the starting lineup instead.
The decision paid off. Dallas’ five starters played a total of 18 minutes together. During that span, they outscored the Rockets by 21 points and led Dallas to a convincing 121-109 home win on Sunday night. Houston now leads the series, 3-1.
Barea was spectacular, notching 17 points and 13 assists. With him attacking off the dribble, the Mavericks’ offense looked the like the one that was dominating opponents at the beginning of the season. Decisions were being made quickly and the ball was moving. Barea was able to get into the paint and create open shots for everyone else.
Meanwhile, Aminu, not a player known for his offensive game, more than held his own on that end of the floor. He scored 16 points and connected on three of his five three-point attempts. He also added in 12 rebounds and some brilliant defense on James Harden. The Rockets' star shooting guard had 24 points, but scored just 11 points and hit just 5-of-11 field goal attempts when Aminu was on him, according to ESPN Stats and Information.
In 27 total minutes together this series, the five-man unit of Barea, Ellis, Aminu, Nowitzki and Chandler has outscored the Rockets by 30 points. Dallas has only had success with three five-man units this series, and Barea and Aminu have been part of all of them, per NBA.com.
It makes sense, too. Barea is the only point guard on the roster who can consistently get into the paint. With him on the court this series, Dallas is scoring over 121 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com.
As for Aminu, he’s the only player on the roster who can bother Harden. His defensive rating this series of 101.4 is the top mark on the team and a large improvement over the 112 points per 100 possessions the Mavericks are surrendering in total. That he’s also hitting perimeter shots means Carlisle can keep him on the floor.
In 2011, Carlisle helped the Mavericks win a championship by inserting Barea into the starting lineup against the Heat. Now, four years later, he's going back to the well.
It’s surely too late to make a tangible difference in this series, but at least Dallas will now be going down with a fight.
