Mavericks' J.J. Barea: Hopeful to play Wednesday
Barea (elbow) went through non-contact drills during Sunday's practice and remains hopeful to play in Wednesday's season opener against the Pacers, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis:
Coach Rick Carlisle previously expressed concern about Barea's availability for the opener, but the reserve guard's odds of playing may have improved with Sunday's activity. He'll still likely need to get a full-contact session in before Wednesday arrives, however, so Barea isn't necessarily out of the woods just yet. If Barea ends up sitting, the Mavericks could be forced to rely heavily on Seth Curry for reserve minutes behind starters Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews.