Notebook: Barry rehab goes slowly

[timvp]

Notebook: Barry rehab goes slowly
Mike Monroe
Express-News

ORLANDO, Fla. — Brent Barry's return to action for the Spurs will have to wait a while longer.

Though Barry is back on the roster after signing a new contract Sunday, he probably won't play until the coaches get a chance to see how his injured left calf looks in a practice scrimmage.

"When they tell me he's ready," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "I'll play him. They tell me he's close, but they're not sure. We're trying to do basketballrelated things with him now. He can do basketball drill things, but the unscripted things that happen in a game, the pushing off and all that, is where the stress comes in.

"We're going slowly, making sure he's available come playoff time. I'm not sure that means he plays in a week or two weeks."

Though Barry is anxious to get back in action, he understands the need for caution.

"It's a complicated situation," he said. "It could be easy, but it's complicated because I can't do so much that I strain anything in my calf, but I've got to get in shape, so I have to do enough.

"We're not going to be practicing much down the stretch, so we'll have to keep open lines of communications between Pop and me about how things are going and how he is going to use me, or not use me, and we'll go from there."

Barry was prohibited from working with the Spurs' strength and conditioning staff for 30 days after he was waived by the SuperSonics. He was shipped to Seattle on Feb. 20 along with Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round draft pick in the deal for Kurt Thomas.

He continued physical therapy on the left calf muscle torn in a Jan. 24 game under the direction of Linda Wells, director of physical therapy at Texas Center for Athletes.

"I've had great professional direction," Barry said of his therapy regimen. "The physical therapy ladies I've been working with on a daily basis at Texas Center for Athletes, Linda Wells and the crew, have been great.

"I think I have enough strength in my calf and confidence enough in the work I've done to this point to be on the floor. It's a matter of some conditioning, as well."

Now Barry is working with Spurs strength and conditioning coach Mike "Brungy" Brungardt.

"I don't know that there's much more Brungy could do that the ladies haven't already done. The difference is they did it with a velvet glove approach. Brungy comes with an iron hand," Barry said.

"I like Brungy personally, but professionally, he's not the guy you first want to see when you walk back in the gym. And I think he knows I say that with complete admiration and respect."

Horry may return tonight: Power forward Robert Horry, who missed games in Dallas on Sunday and Orlando on Tuesday with a badly bruised left knee, said he anticipated playing in today's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the AT&T Center.

"It feels better, but I think if I had played (Tuesday night), it would have been swollen up like a balloon on Wednesday. I hope I'll be ready to go (today)," said Horry, who suffered the contusion during a collision with Sacramento's Francisco Garcia on Friday.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032608.04C.BKNspurs.notebook.3d67ae1.html

[T Park]

Eh, that doesn't sound great.

[ducks]

sounds like they want to make sure he plays in playoffs and not get reinjured before then

[timvp]

Sounds like bad news regarding Barry. It doesn't sound like Barry or anyone else is too confident in that calf. Right now, I don't think we can pencil him down as anything more than a bit player come playoff time. That calf just sounds too chronic. Oh well, at least he re-signed. :tu

Pretty good news on Horry, though.

[boutons_]

Nope, it's better not to count on Brent for the playoffs, a huge question mark.

Michael will have to really step up his entire game.

[tmtcsc]

Huh ? The notes are exactly what I expected. He's done well in all the basketball drills, his therapy has gone well and now he has to get in to game shape AND show the coaches and himself how the calf will respond in game situations.

I don't know if anyone will ever be able to say one way or the other that Brent's calf is 100 perecent.
He'll just have to give it a shot.

[gmanrulz]

for what brent is, a spot up shooter, it doesnt necessarily have to be at 100% for him to be effective

[Admidave50]

Hope that CIA Pop is pretending that it's been a long time they haven't checked on Barry's staus...

[Bruno]

This article doesn't strike me as being a bad or good news about Barry. His injury was serious, Spurs are careful with him to avoid that he re-injures his calf.

I wonder if spurs doing nothing with their 15th spot is related to their doubts about Bary's availability for the playoffs. Barry's health could determine if Spurs go after a vet or a prospect with that 15th spot.

[WalterBenitez]

I t sounds they are preparing Brent for playoffs

[timvp]

This article doesn't strike me as being a bad or good news about Barry. His injury was serious, Spurs are careful with him to avoid that he re-injures his calf.It sounds like bad news to me because when he got hurt the last time the Spurs said he'd miss three or four weeks. That was over eight weeks ago.

The only thing you can do for a calf strain really is rest it. If Barry is worried about re-straining it, that means it hasn't healed too well. At this point, it appears as if we'll just have to hope his calf holds up enough to play a role similar to what he did last year. I seriously don't see him being able to take over the starter job with a chronic calf injury.

This is the type of injury a 36-year-old needs the whole offseason to recover from.

[san antonio spurs]

for what brent is, a spot up shooter, it doesnt necessarily have to be at 100% for him to be effective
I believe brent is more than that. He's one of the few playmakers we have. His court vision, BBall IQ and passing skills really help the spurs' offense when the offense is run by Vaughn or any other PG not named Parker.

Regarding this notebook, there aren't really bad news because it's normal to be cautious with Barry after what happened to him with the first injury.
He'll be ready come playoffs time, that's where the spurs will really need him.

[polandprzem]

I'm much more concerned about the ladies in velvet gloves ...


I'm good with Barry ready for playoffs, but it seems that it is not so sure thing.

[Solid D]

for what brent is, a spot up shooter, it doesnt necessarily have to be at 100% for him to be effective

While I agree with you that a player doesn't have to be 100% to be effective, spotting-up on offense is only a fraction of what a wing player in the NBA will do, even with the inside-out Spurs. In a motion offense, the wings are always cutting through the lane, setting screens, fighting through congested turnstiles, making elusive v-cuts and hand-fighting to free up to receive a pass. When Tim posts up on the block, the perimeter players must still slide and move, reacting to double-teams. That's what basketball is...cutting and moving... and that's a big part of Brent Barry's game.

Offense is only half the minutes, though. Brent must also play defense, move side-to-side, back-pedal, make quick directional momentum adjutments, fight through screens, recover from getting pinned-down by a Big and make up for lost time to close out on your responsibility. Instability in your lower legs doesn't work very well for basketball and tennis players. Caution in healing a lower-leg tear is a good idea.

[Bruno]

On a side note, it seems that Brent has only signed for the rest of the season.
espn trade machine said it and they list him as a free agent next summer.

[hater]

for what brent is, a spot up shooter, it doesnt necessarily have to be at 100% for him to be effective

he's far from strictly a spot up shooter. watch the games

[Dex]

Doesn't sound too grand at all.

Granted, they have reason to be cautious. The last two times he injured that calf, he did so just by performing regular gametime maneuvers, i.e. pivoting, pushing off, etc...And he obviously wouldn't have been playing on it if he thought it wasn't going to hold up.

The difference being is if he blows it now, he's definitely out for the playoffs. Better to hold him back a couple weeks now and have him then, as opposed to the opposite.

But yeah, like timvp said, they either don't sound completely confident in his prognosis, or there is some serious CIA Pop action going on here.

[wildbill2u]

Get Brent a can of Rustoleum for the playoffs.

[loveforthegame]

Good news about Horry. I don't think we'll need him tonight against the Clippers so he might be able to get a couple more days rest before the Timberwolves game on Friday.

Not so great news about Barry though. Hopefully they're just being careful with him and make sure he's healthy for the playoffs.

[ChumpDumper]

CIA Brent.

[nfg3]

Not exactly the good news I was expecting but willl have to live with it. Those types of injuries take longer to heal I guess, especially when older. I was hoping he would be available soon but sounds like he needs more time. Continue rehab and get him ready to play without leaving him open to being reinjuried.

Good news on Horry though.

Playoffs are just around the corner and its time to get those wheelchairs well oiled and ready to go.

[T Park]

I said when everyone was lamenting and begging for him to come back, it was a serious injury AND at his age it takes a long long time to come back.

[timvp]

On a side note, it seems that Brent has only signed for the rest of the season.
espn trade machine said it and they list him as a free agent next summer.If that's true, other teams are really going to think the Spurs cheated. Barry turns down proposals for like 30 times as much money to re-sign with the Spurs for a handful of games?

Niccccccccce. :smokin

[Agloco]

for what brent is, a spot up shooter, it doesnt necessarily have to be at 100% for him to be effective

He's one of the main reasons the Spurs can run effective motion offense. Without him, it turns to shit (as evidenced by the offensive junk jobs of late). Yeah Manu and Tony can get to the rim, but with Barry on the court people get much better looks in general. Unfortunately that scheme requires him to run around on the offensive end quite a bit. IMO this would be the reason why they've gone so slowly and carefully with the rehab. Hopefully the calf holds up.

[T Park]

If that's true, other teams are really going to think the Spurs cheated. Barry turns down proposals for like 30 times as much money to re-sign with the Spurs for a handful of games?

Niccccccccce. :smokin

Yeah sweetness.

Problem is there is a huge shortage of younger swingmen available this summer, and theres no one out there.

[Bruno]

If that's true, other teams are really going to think the Spurs cheated. Barry turns down proposals for like 30 times as much money to re-sign with the Spurs for a handful of games?

Niccccccccce. :smokin

Barry sign for the min through 2009 was a better deal for Spurs than a rest of the season contract.
Barry should be able to get more than the minimum this summer. Some contender should give him a LLE contract.

Baring espn is right and Barry has only sign for the rest of the season, my guess that Barry has done that because he will likely retire this summer. Maybe he has come to the conclusion that his calf injuries and difficulties to recover quickly are a sign that his body isn't able anymore to carry the load of a NBA season.

[SuperManu!!!]

I bet barry's ipod is playing "rehab" by amy winehouse

[boutons_]

Brent won't be worth much this summer at his age and perhaps still with a troublesome calf strain.

[Man In Black]

It all depends on if it can take sudden fast twitch movements. If he's just loping, he will be fine. It's that sudden burst that caused it to go. Hopefully Brungardt can simulate those "bursts" in controlled fashion so that both Brent and the calf will work towards being able to handle all stress.

[ChumpDumper]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Barry retires this summer. I thought Jon had something left in the tank when he retired too, but he had some nagging injuries also IIRC.

If there is any room left under the tax threshold, the Spurs really need to pick up another swingman ASAP. No one is going to bring what Barry does/did, but there are a couple of D-Leaguers who can score and facilitate ball movement in the halfcourt. Marcus Williams does a better job of that in transition, but his total learning curve would be less steep.

[rAm]

I bet barry's ipod is playing "rehab" by amy winehouse

haha :hat