tlongII
04-12-2011, 05:58 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/04/new_addition_earl_barron_prepa.html
http://media.oregonlive.com/blazers_impact/photo/earl-barronjpg-595849dea616a0f1.jpg
Earl Barron (left) battles Dwight Howard for position.
TUALATIN — Earl Barron was in Florida for a wedding Friday night when he received a call from his agent with the news that the Trail Blazers wanted him to visit for a workout that could potentially land him a playoff roster spot.
Less than 48 hours later, he was saying goodbye to his girlfriend as he hastily boarded a plane bound for Portland.
“I told her if I don’t come back, it’s for a good cause,” Barron said, laughing, at the Blazers’ Tuesday morning shootaround. “She was really excited.”
Barron never made it back. The Blazers signed the 29-year old, 7-foot center Tuesday morning to bolster their front court depth for the playoffs and he will be in uniform tonight when they host the Memphis Grizzlies at the Rose Garden with the sixth seed in the Western Conference at stake.
Barron, who has played parts of five NBA seasons with four different teams, earned the Blazers’ final roster spot after excelling during a three player workout Monday that also featured Robert Swift and Dwyane Jones.
“I think he the was most basketball ready of some of the guys that we’ve brought in,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “Because he has played this year and he’s played with a couple teams. You can put him out there right now and play him. We’ve had a couple workouts and decided that Earl would be the guy that we could go with.”
Barron has played in 19 games this season with Milwaukee and Phoenix, making six starts with the Suns. He last played on March 16, when the Bucks lost to the Orlando Magic, recording six points and three rebounds in 21 minutes.
Barron was a rookie with the Miami Heat when they won a championship in 2006, but he was not part of their playoff roster. He called the opportunity with the Blazers a dream come true.
“It’s been a dream of mine,” Barron said. “With Miami, (I) made the playoffs a couple years, but wasn’t even on the playoff roster. But it was still amazing to be there and to feel the excitement every time the ball was thrown up. To be in the arena. I was like, ‘Man, one day, hopefully i can get back out there an have a jersey on, get up and down and play in the playoffs.’ So now I think that opportunity is pretty close; it’s in reach. Hopefully ... I can get out there and be able to produce and help out.”
It’s unclear how much —if any — the Blazers will count on Barron and McMillan would not elaborate Tuesday morning. But it seems unlikely will be do much more than provide depth to a team that has lacked it in the front court all season. Barron is the fifth reserve center the Blazers have signed this season.
Barron is not considered a physically imposing big man, but he features a nice mid-range jump shot and can be effective in pick-and-roll sets in the pick-and-pop. In 108 career NBA games, including 27 starts, Barron holds career averages of 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game.
What does he think he can bring to the Blazers?
“Energy and quickness for my size,” he said. “Run the floor. I’m in great shape, so help out. Help out on pick and rolls, bang a little bit down low, put a big body on some of the guys. Just go to the glass (and) try to get every offensive rebound I can; go after every loose ball and get in there and take some charges and try to do a little bit of everything. Pick and pop. Make some open jump shots. Kind of spread the floor. Make bigger guys come and guard me out on the wing and perimeter.”
Since he was released by Milwaukee, Barron has spent most of his time staying in shape on the campus of the University of Memphis, where he went to school. He played pickup games with current players on campus, competed one-on-one against friends that live in the area and did a lot of individual workouts.
“Just in case,” he said. “You always keep faith, believe (and) hope that something will come up. But I said, ‘Once the playoffs start again, that would be it.’”
Barron was contemplating going to Puerto Rico to play. But he received a call from his agent Friday night and less than 48 hours later he was saying goodbye to his girlfriend en route to Portland. Now he’ll wear uniform No. 40 in the playoffs.
“The West is pretty big, so they are going to need me to come in there and help as much as I can ... off the bench,” Barron said. “I won’t be playing a lot of minutes, but the limited minutes that I do play, I’ll do my best to rebound, defend and do a little of the dirty work.”
http://media.oregonlive.com/blazers_impact/photo/earl-barronjpg-595849dea616a0f1.jpg
Earl Barron (left) battles Dwight Howard for position.
TUALATIN — Earl Barron was in Florida for a wedding Friday night when he received a call from his agent with the news that the Trail Blazers wanted him to visit for a workout that could potentially land him a playoff roster spot.
Less than 48 hours later, he was saying goodbye to his girlfriend as he hastily boarded a plane bound for Portland.
“I told her if I don’t come back, it’s for a good cause,” Barron said, laughing, at the Blazers’ Tuesday morning shootaround. “She was really excited.”
Barron never made it back. The Blazers signed the 29-year old, 7-foot center Tuesday morning to bolster their front court depth for the playoffs and he will be in uniform tonight when they host the Memphis Grizzlies at the Rose Garden with the sixth seed in the Western Conference at stake.
Barron, who has played parts of five NBA seasons with four different teams, earned the Blazers’ final roster spot after excelling during a three player workout Monday that also featured Robert Swift and Dwyane Jones.
“I think he the was most basketball ready of some of the guys that we’ve brought in,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “Because he has played this year and he’s played with a couple teams. You can put him out there right now and play him. We’ve had a couple workouts and decided that Earl would be the guy that we could go with.”
Barron has played in 19 games this season with Milwaukee and Phoenix, making six starts with the Suns. He last played on March 16, when the Bucks lost to the Orlando Magic, recording six points and three rebounds in 21 minutes.
Barron was a rookie with the Miami Heat when they won a championship in 2006, but he was not part of their playoff roster. He called the opportunity with the Blazers a dream come true.
“It’s been a dream of mine,” Barron said. “With Miami, (I) made the playoffs a couple years, but wasn’t even on the playoff roster. But it was still amazing to be there and to feel the excitement every time the ball was thrown up. To be in the arena. I was like, ‘Man, one day, hopefully i can get back out there an have a jersey on, get up and down and play in the playoffs.’ So now I think that opportunity is pretty close; it’s in reach. Hopefully ... I can get out there and be able to produce and help out.”
It’s unclear how much —if any — the Blazers will count on Barron and McMillan would not elaborate Tuesday morning. But it seems unlikely will be do much more than provide depth to a team that has lacked it in the front court all season. Barron is the fifth reserve center the Blazers have signed this season.
Barron is not considered a physically imposing big man, but he features a nice mid-range jump shot and can be effective in pick-and-roll sets in the pick-and-pop. In 108 career NBA games, including 27 starts, Barron holds career averages of 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game.
What does he think he can bring to the Blazers?
“Energy and quickness for my size,” he said. “Run the floor. I’m in great shape, so help out. Help out on pick and rolls, bang a little bit down low, put a big body on some of the guys. Just go to the glass (and) try to get every offensive rebound I can; go after every loose ball and get in there and take some charges and try to do a little bit of everything. Pick and pop. Make some open jump shots. Kind of spread the floor. Make bigger guys come and guard me out on the wing and perimeter.”
Since he was released by Milwaukee, Barron has spent most of his time staying in shape on the campus of the University of Memphis, where he went to school. He played pickup games with current players on campus, competed one-on-one against friends that live in the area and did a lot of individual workouts.
“Just in case,” he said. “You always keep faith, believe (and) hope that something will come up. But I said, ‘Once the playoffs start again, that would be it.’”
Barron was contemplating going to Puerto Rico to play. But he received a call from his agent Friday night and less than 48 hours later he was saying goodbye to his girlfriend en route to Portland. Now he’ll wear uniform No. 40 in the playoffs.
“The West is pretty big, so they are going to need me to come in there and help as much as I can ... off the bench,” Barron said. “I won’t be playing a lot of minutes, but the limited minutes that I do play, I’ll do my best to rebound, defend and do a little of the dirty work.”