Kori Ellis
03-20-2005, 01:10 AM
Barry still searching for answers
Web Posted: 03/20/2005 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032005.1C.BKNspurs.pistons.adv.155576659.html
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Brent Barry has broken down his form frame by frame. He's dug up game film from previous seasons for comparison.
He's talked to other players with slump-busting experience. He's stayed after practice to take extra shots. He wondered if an old Caribbean ritual might work, but didn't want to upset the folks at PETA.
Anything that might help Barry regain the touch that made him one of the NBA's most prized shooters, he's tried.
But during the past 11 games, Barry has missed 31 of 40 3-pointers. For the season, he's hit only 34.2 percent of his attempts.
"I've had stretches of two games before where I'm just not having balls go in, but not stretches of the season," Barry said. "It's been mind-boggling."
As frustrated as Barry has been with his shot, he's recently found solace in his overall play. While starting for the injured Manu Ginobili the past five games, he's averaged 9.6 points and 5.0 assists.
His defense has steadily improved. His passing and ability to run the floor continue to help the team.
"I've been satisfied with other parts of my game, but the thing is, I was brought here to make open shots," Barry said. "So that wears on you after a while when you're not doing it."
Sometimes it's worn on him too much. Two weeks ago against New Jersey, he missed six of seven shots, including all five of his 3-pointers. With each miss, he barked at himself or dropped his head. His slump stretched to the foul line.
"For whatever reason, he's sometimes a little bit too anxious about not being great every minute on the court," coach Gregg Popovich said. "I think he has the impression he's supposed to do these Herculean, Julius Erving-type things, and that if he's not remarkable, everybody is going to be disappointed — fans, teammates, coaches.
"That's just not true. I just want him to relax."
Barry has started to do that, benefiting from the extra minutes he's received during Ginobili's absence. Popovich doesn't see him passing up as many open shots. He's also taken the ball to the rim more frequently.
During the second quarter of Friday's game against Charlotte, Barry helped the Spurs pull away by finding Tim Duncan for an easy dunk then throwing a nifty bounce pass to Tony Parker, who was trailing him on the break, for a layup.
"We basically laid it out there that if he touches the ball, we expect him to do something with it," Popovich said. "If he's in the gym, shoot it. If he can't shoot it for some reason, we want him to drive it. Just be aggressive. Don't worry about the outcome. We don't care.
"He's really playing a lot more freely with that in mind."
Barry's challenge is to stay productive when his minutes decrease after Ginobili returns.
Given the team's depth, Barry knew when he signed with the Spurs his minutes probably would drop from the 30.6 he averaged last season with Seattle. But he didn't think the transition would be this difficult.
In the six games Barry has started, he's shot 50.8 percent overall and 39.3 percent from 3-point range. As a reserve, he's shot 40.2 percent overall and 33.5 percent from 3-point range.
"I just have to go out and continue to be confident and shoot the ball when I'm open," Barry said. "Just try to get myself in rhythm."
After missing 17 consecutive 3-pointers over a six-game stretch early in the season, Barry seemed to settle into a flow in January. In 16 games that month, he shot 48.8 percent overall and 50.9 percent behind the 3-point line. He also came up big in the team's most important victory of the season on Jan. 21 in Phoenix, hitting a pair of clutch 3-pointers late in regulation before adding another early in overtime.
That success — and the fact he finished second in the league in 3-point shooting only a year ago — has given Barry hope the unlucky, and sometimes bizarre, bounces his shots have taken won't continue forever.
"The season is not over," Barry said. "The games that really are going to count, the more important games, are coming up. It's up to me to find my focus and find my chi and get this thing going.
"It's in there. I just have to get it."
Web Posted: 03/20/2005 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032005.1C.BKNspurs.pistons.adv.155576659.html
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Brent Barry has broken down his form frame by frame. He's dug up game film from previous seasons for comparison.
He's talked to other players with slump-busting experience. He's stayed after practice to take extra shots. He wondered if an old Caribbean ritual might work, but didn't want to upset the folks at PETA.
Anything that might help Barry regain the touch that made him one of the NBA's most prized shooters, he's tried.
But during the past 11 games, Barry has missed 31 of 40 3-pointers. For the season, he's hit only 34.2 percent of his attempts.
"I've had stretches of two games before where I'm just not having balls go in, but not stretches of the season," Barry said. "It's been mind-boggling."
As frustrated as Barry has been with his shot, he's recently found solace in his overall play. While starting for the injured Manu Ginobili the past five games, he's averaged 9.6 points and 5.0 assists.
His defense has steadily improved. His passing and ability to run the floor continue to help the team.
"I've been satisfied with other parts of my game, but the thing is, I was brought here to make open shots," Barry said. "So that wears on you after a while when you're not doing it."
Sometimes it's worn on him too much. Two weeks ago against New Jersey, he missed six of seven shots, including all five of his 3-pointers. With each miss, he barked at himself or dropped his head. His slump stretched to the foul line.
"For whatever reason, he's sometimes a little bit too anxious about not being great every minute on the court," coach Gregg Popovich said. "I think he has the impression he's supposed to do these Herculean, Julius Erving-type things, and that if he's not remarkable, everybody is going to be disappointed — fans, teammates, coaches.
"That's just not true. I just want him to relax."
Barry has started to do that, benefiting from the extra minutes he's received during Ginobili's absence. Popovich doesn't see him passing up as many open shots. He's also taken the ball to the rim more frequently.
During the second quarter of Friday's game against Charlotte, Barry helped the Spurs pull away by finding Tim Duncan for an easy dunk then throwing a nifty bounce pass to Tony Parker, who was trailing him on the break, for a layup.
"We basically laid it out there that if he touches the ball, we expect him to do something with it," Popovich said. "If he's in the gym, shoot it. If he can't shoot it for some reason, we want him to drive it. Just be aggressive. Don't worry about the outcome. We don't care.
"He's really playing a lot more freely with that in mind."
Barry's challenge is to stay productive when his minutes decrease after Ginobili returns.
Given the team's depth, Barry knew when he signed with the Spurs his minutes probably would drop from the 30.6 he averaged last season with Seattle. But he didn't think the transition would be this difficult.
In the six games Barry has started, he's shot 50.8 percent overall and 39.3 percent from 3-point range. As a reserve, he's shot 40.2 percent overall and 33.5 percent from 3-point range.
"I just have to go out and continue to be confident and shoot the ball when I'm open," Barry said. "Just try to get myself in rhythm."
After missing 17 consecutive 3-pointers over a six-game stretch early in the season, Barry seemed to settle into a flow in January. In 16 games that month, he shot 48.8 percent overall and 50.9 percent behind the 3-point line. He also came up big in the team's most important victory of the season on Jan. 21 in Phoenix, hitting a pair of clutch 3-pointers late in regulation before adding another early in overtime.
That success — and the fact he finished second in the league in 3-point shooting only a year ago — has given Barry hope the unlucky, and sometimes bizarre, bounces his shots have taken won't continue forever.
"The season is not over," Barry said. "The games that really are going to count, the more important games, are coming up. It's up to me to find my focus and find my chi and get this thing going.
"It's in there. I just have to get it."