J.J. Barea: Puts up 22 points off bench in loss

The absence of Devin Harris (ankle) in the opener along with fellow reserve guard Seth Curry fouling out in just 16 minutes helped Barea’s case for more playing time, but coach Rick Carlisle also elected to give the veteran some run as part of three-guard lineups during the contest. Barea responded with a productive outing, but this would seem to represent the ceiling for his offensive output when regular backcourt starters Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews are healthy. Based on Carlisle’s comments in the preseason, Curry is still expected to occupy a prominent role off the bench, which will result in Barea sacrificing some more minutes when Curry isn’t racking up fouls.