Here’s Denver Nuggets assistant coach JJ Barea describing the mindset/role he had on offense as a player.
(via Undrafted To NBA Champ JJ Barea’s Wild Journey | Denver Nuggets Off The Court):
“Somebody once told me, in my head was like, ‘Play the same way you played in high school or you played in college in the NBA when you get an opportunity. When you get 1 minute, just do the same thing.’ So for me, I learned early if I get in the game and I just bring the ball down and pass it and go to the corner, I’m getting thrown out of the league in the next couple months. Anybody [can do that]. So I was like, ‘I’m gonna get the ball and be super aggressive.’
“I remember Avery Johnson one time, I played like 30 seconds in garbage minutes and I wasn’t aggressive. And after the game, he went at me: ‘You’re not aggressive! You’re not even looking at the basket!’ I was like, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Next game: two minutes, I’m shooting seven shots, I’m driving to the paint every single time. And from then on, I was like, ‘I gotta be aggressive. Or not, I’m not gonna be able to do this because my role is come off the bench and be super aggressive, get to the paint.’ Get to the paint either to shoot or to pass it, and that got me going.”
