Dallas Mavericks guard JJ Barea is hoping to be able to play for Puerto Rico in the FIBA World Cup which will take place in China this August.
Barea, who suffered an Achilles injury back in January, said he ‘feels pretty good' at the moment; however, the Mavs veteran won't make a final decision until probably a few weeks before the event.
J.J. Barea hopes to play for Puerto Rico in the World Cup, which begins Aug. 31, less than eight months after he ruptured his right Achilles' tendon. "The way I feel right now, it looks pretty good," Barea told ESPN. "But I'm not going to make a decision until it gets closer."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 3, 2019
A player who tore his Achilles usually needs at least 10-12 months to fully recover, but if the 34-year-old guard plays for the Puerto Rican national team this August, it would have been only eight months since his injury.
Barea is currently working out under the supervision of the Mavs' training and medical staff. He's doing non-contact basketball drills, but he expects to make some progress over the next few weeks.
If he does suit up for Puerto Rico, Barea hopes to at least play at least 10-15 minutes a game. One of the main reasons why he's so eager to play for his home country is probably because of the fact that it could be his last appearance in a FIBA World Cup tournament.
However, he still plans to play some more in the NBA and is expected to re-sign with the Mavs this summer.
When healthy, Barena can still provide decent numbers. He averaged 10.9 points and 5.6 assists for Dallas prior to the injury.
The veteran guard is reportedly in contact with Wesley Matthews to get some tips about recovery and rehab. The Indiana Pacers forward also suffered a torn Achilles earlier in his career but was able to return in less than eight months.
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