TMTTRIO
10-18-2007, 07:54 AM
http://www.nba.com/suns/news/barbosa_071013.html
For Leandro Barbosa, it’s all about finding that happy medium. He is still searching to find a comfortable speed between his “Brazilian Blur” gear and a dead stop – which happens when he’s banished to the bench by foul trouble.
He needs to find a consistent shot somewhere between the 3-point bomb and that streak to the basket for a layup. He also needs to find a more consistent and effective plan on defense.
So despite being the NBA’s Most Improved Player after a breakout 2006-07 season, Barbosa came to training camp still a month shy of his 25th birthday but with a healthy checklist to work on, and a passion to take the next step in his progression.
“That last playoff series (against San Antonio) was bad for me,” he said. “I didn’t play great. The Spurs did a good job frustrating me. I had trouble shooting and handling the ball the way I wanted to. They stayed on me outside and had people waiting for me inside. I have to get better at things to make it harder for them.”
Barbosa was also hampered by an elbow injury that never cost him a game but bothered him enough to require offseason surgery. He will still wear a sleeve over the elbow to prevent further injury when he hits the floor on his many trips to the basket.
“I was trying to forget the pain because it was playoff time,” he said. “I can’t use it as an excuse, but it was a problem for me. When we lost, everyone knew San Antonio was going to win the championship. I didn’t even watch the games because I needed to concentrate on something else.”
Following the surgery, which cleaned up some debris in the elbow, Barbosa was very effective during the FIBA Americas Championship in July. He led not only Brazil but the entire tournament in scoring at 21.8 points per game. But Brazil finished 5-5, was bottled up by the top teams like the U.S. – when Kobe Bryant shut Barbosa down – and failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
That led Brazilian basketball-legend-turned-analyst Oscar Schmidt to openly criticize the country’s stars like Barbosa and Denver’s Nene Hilario for not doing more to lead.
That didn’t sit well with Barbosa, who worked hard to rehab from surgery so he could play. Add in that he now begins his five-year, $33 million contract extension – seen by many as a bargain, but by Barbosa as a responsibility – and he comes to work determined to both improve and succeed.
That’s great news for the Suns, who saw Barbosa blossom as a big-time scorer last season (18.1 points on 48 percent shooting) and take over as one of the keys to the up-tempo mind-set. And if he can add a mid-range jumper to his arsenal – and take advantage of defenders who now sprint to the basket in hopes of stopping his drive at the rim – scouting reports around the league will be in need of major editing.
“L.B. looks great. He played all summer so he came to camp in great shape,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said. “I don’t think we all knew how hurt he was at the end of the season. He was so good in the Lakers series (averaging 21.2 points a game) that we all assumed he was OK, but the elbow got progressively worse.”
Along with his mentor, assistant coach Dan D’Antoni, Barbosa is working daily on becoming a better defender. The idea is to eliminate the tunnel vision which often finds him running into screens and unaware of the activity on the weak side.
On offense, the plan is to exploit defenders forced to try to anticipate Barbosa’s moves to offset his great quickness advantage.
“When I put the ball down (dribbling) they already know I’m coming to the basket,” he said. “I’m working on pulling up at the free-throw line, which is an open shot a lot of times. It is getting more and more comfortable and it’s a shot I will use more.”
For Leandro Barbosa, it’s all about finding that happy medium. He is still searching to find a comfortable speed between his “Brazilian Blur” gear and a dead stop – which happens when he’s banished to the bench by foul trouble.
He needs to find a consistent shot somewhere between the 3-point bomb and that streak to the basket for a layup. He also needs to find a more consistent and effective plan on defense.
So despite being the NBA’s Most Improved Player after a breakout 2006-07 season, Barbosa came to training camp still a month shy of his 25th birthday but with a healthy checklist to work on, and a passion to take the next step in his progression.
“That last playoff series (against San Antonio) was bad for me,” he said. “I didn’t play great. The Spurs did a good job frustrating me. I had trouble shooting and handling the ball the way I wanted to. They stayed on me outside and had people waiting for me inside. I have to get better at things to make it harder for them.”
Barbosa was also hampered by an elbow injury that never cost him a game but bothered him enough to require offseason surgery. He will still wear a sleeve over the elbow to prevent further injury when he hits the floor on his many trips to the basket.
“I was trying to forget the pain because it was playoff time,” he said. “I can’t use it as an excuse, but it was a problem for me. When we lost, everyone knew San Antonio was going to win the championship. I didn’t even watch the games because I needed to concentrate on something else.”
Following the surgery, which cleaned up some debris in the elbow, Barbosa was very effective during the FIBA Americas Championship in July. He led not only Brazil but the entire tournament in scoring at 21.8 points per game. But Brazil finished 5-5, was bottled up by the top teams like the U.S. – when Kobe Bryant shut Barbosa down – and failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
That led Brazilian basketball-legend-turned-analyst Oscar Schmidt to openly criticize the country’s stars like Barbosa and Denver’s Nene Hilario for not doing more to lead.
That didn’t sit well with Barbosa, who worked hard to rehab from surgery so he could play. Add in that he now begins his five-year, $33 million contract extension – seen by many as a bargain, but by Barbosa as a responsibility – and he comes to work determined to both improve and succeed.
That’s great news for the Suns, who saw Barbosa blossom as a big-time scorer last season (18.1 points on 48 percent shooting) and take over as one of the keys to the up-tempo mind-set. And if he can add a mid-range jumper to his arsenal – and take advantage of defenders who now sprint to the basket in hopes of stopping his drive at the rim – scouting reports around the league will be in need of major editing.
“L.B. looks great. He played all summer so he came to camp in great shape,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said. “I don’t think we all knew how hurt he was at the end of the season. He was so good in the Lakers series (averaging 21.2 points a game) that we all assumed he was OK, but the elbow got progressively worse.”
Along with his mentor, assistant coach Dan D’Antoni, Barbosa is working daily on becoming a better defender. The idea is to eliminate the tunnel vision which often finds him running into screens and unaware of the activity on the weak side.
On offense, the plan is to exploit defenders forced to try to anticipate Barbosa’s moves to offset his great quickness advantage.
“When I put the ball down (dribbling) they already know I’m coming to the basket,” he said. “I’m working on pulling up at the free-throw line, which is an open shot a lot of times. It is getting more and more comfortable and it’s a shot I will use more.”