J.J. Barea
Since the 2011 West Finals, it feels like Barea has been a thorn in the Thunder’s side, both as a player and personality. In game one of that series, it was Barea who came off the bench and scored 21 poitns on 8 of12 shooting. Had it not been for that performance, the Thunder might have gone up 2-0 on Dallas. If that was the case, who knows how that series ends up.
Barea is the type of player that Westbrook hates, and the two have gotten into it a fair amount over the years. Here is the most noticeable instance.
Looking at his career splits, Barea’s stats against the Thunder don’t stick out. He averaged a career 9.1 points per game against the Thunder, which is around average compared to those of the other teams. But it just felt like every time he went against the Thunder, even when Dallas wasn’t competitive, Barea was always right in the middle of something, making life for Westbrook miserable.
He’s higher on the list because of his longevity. Most villains present haven’t been around that long, or have only been meanies for a few seasons. Barea obviously isn’t the player he once was, but on any given night, can be a massive pest, probably against Westbrook and the Thunder.