Premise: Barea (ankle) delivered 10 points (4-11 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five assists and four rebounds across 21 minutes in the Mavericks' 126-118 loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday. Barea's return to action after a two-game absence was a successful one overall, and he played just four fewer minutes than starting point guard Jalen Brunson. The veteran is now averaging 12.9 points, 3.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds in the seven December contests in which he's suited up, with four double-digit scoring efforts over that span.
Hypothesis: Barea gets less playing time than Brunson