Barea wants to be a pest

JJ Barea has seen action in three games over the past five weeks. That may be the extent of his playing time in the near future if he’s not assigned to the D-League.

The second-year point guard likely won’t be part of the active roster unless one of the top 12 is out. Such was the case with Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse each missing a game on the recent road trip.

“I’ve got to do the little things to stay ready,” he said.

Barea has tried to make the most out of limited chances. The former undrafted free agent helped sway the momentum in the second half of Saturday’s comeback win at the Los Angeles Clippers with three points and three assists in nine minutes. He matched those numbers exactly in Monday’s nail-biting loss at Sacramento.

Avery Johnson isn’t afraid to throw the frenetic Barea into a game. The Mavericks coach actually started the Northeastern product in four straight games in early November due to other injuries. Whenever he does throw Barea out there, Johnson’s message is simple: “Be a pest.”

Read the rest of this in today’s notebook at mavs.com.