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Come on Brent, the whole city is rooting for you.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c...16005ba42.html
Buck Harvey: Rose to Barry: The sound of a big contract
Web Posted: 03/22/2005 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
NEW YORK — After missing all five shots he took, Brent Barry missed something else Monday.
Bose headphones and an iPod. Both vanished from the Madison Square Garden visitor's locker room.
"The hits just keep coming," Barry said with some sarcasm as he filled out a report.
The hits may have just started. Barry lost Tim Duncan one night and music the next, but it's his jumper that he needs to find if he wants to stay in San Antonio.
Malik Rose knows.
This franchise doesn't like to overpay.
Today, the Spurs have other concerns, namely the next four weeks. If they play this way without Duncan, could they lose the division? Or simply self-respect?
They came apart against an ordinary team Monday night, and never did 1999 seem more distant. Only one player suited up from that championship team, and he played for the Knicks.
Rose played with typical le energy, too, overcoming his own first-half emotions.
"I was worried somebody in New York was going to put out a hit on me," Rose joked afterward. "It looked like I was trying to throw the game."
The Spurs looked that way in the second half, going nearly a full 12 minutes without a basket. For that, Barry deserves no more blame than anyone else.
"We stopped moving the ball," said Manu Ginobili, "and we stopped playing defense. That had nothing to do with Tim not being here."
Oh, it had something to do with it, and Ginobili at 50 percent had something to do with it, too. Without either All-Star at full strength, the Spurs need exceptional contributions from each of the others.
They instead got just a half from Tony Parker, inconsistent play from the big men and the usual from Barry. He went 0 for 5, and that makes two games and 40 minutes without a point from him.
Herb Williams, the Knicks' coach, said he wanted to "make their guards make shots."
The Spurs signed Barry last summer to do just that, and most in the league saw him as the perfect fit. He's led the league in three-point shooting before, and there was a season when he was one of just two players who shot better than 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line.
Now he's under in each, dramatically in field goal and 3-point shooting. Barry continues to shake his head in amazement — as if someone broke into the locker room and stole his shooting touch, too — and teammates have been supportive.
Rose said Monday what the Spurs say. "Brent is just trying too hard," Rose said. "And I think he will be fine. He's one guy who knows how to shoot."
Hedo Turkoglu went through the same early last season. And though Turkoglu found his stroke, he struggled against the Lakers at the end, and that was his lasting impression. If Barry does the opposite — if he steps up when it counts in the playoffs — his regular season will be forgotten.
He still can change everything, just as he changed an overtime win in Phoenix with two late 3-pointers.
But as long as the Spurs lost Monday night to a player they dumped for contractual reasons, money enters into Barry's equation. The Spurs gave Barry almost $20 million over four years last summer, a gamble considering Barry's age, and the Spurs have yet to see much in return.
He works on defense, but he's still ordinary. His basketball IQ is solid, but it's not as if he breaks down defenses. So when his set shot misses, how much is he worth?
Monday, not much. Without Duncan, the Spurs needed some veteran poise. Beno Udrih is expected to be up-and-down as a rookie. But Barry? He's expected to help, to make a few plays, to maybe take over for a time.
Devin Brown, earning the near minimum and playing with a sore back, instead did that.
Barry knows better than anyone it's his turn, just as Turkoglu knew last season. "We can't wait for Tony and Manu to save us every game now," Barry said. "We have to find ways to contribute."
And if he can't? With the contract he has? Someone in New York knows what can happen.
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Come on Brent, the whole city is rooting for you.
This article depresses me.
Why oh why did I have to be a Barry bandwagoner.
I'm STILL praying for him to prove me right.
I feel awful for Barry. He's been terrible. I can hardly watch anymore when a three goes up.
Buck is wrong about Barry's IQ...he's also wrong about Barry's versatility...
In NBA history there is one player who has lead the NBA both in 2point PCT and 3point PCT....and that's Brent Barry.
In NBA history there is one man who has been capable of winning a slam dunk compe ion and leading the NBA in 3point PCT...and that's Brent Barry.
You don't pull off that PCT trick without having a high basketball IQ and you don't pull off the other one without being versatile.
Comes to San Antonio and he turns into a scrub? There's just something wrong there and it's not all Barry.
We need to let him do more than just shoot threes...it's either that or else let this continue....
And I don't think this guy came here to just shoot threes either, this guy could have started for several teams(and it's a joke to think he still couldn't)...I imagine he was planning on backing up both guard spots and no one foresaw the emergence of Beno...
Instead he found himself getting yanked off the court like a rookie for defensive reasons still early in the season, and forced into competing with a rookie and an NBADL guy for minutes and just standing there shooting threes...
That's not coddling...that's anti coddling, that's not even being treated like a normal veteran, that's being made into the team , and since shooting is confidence I don't think it was the wisest move in the world to do that.
If it makes anyone feel better I am pretty sure Barry regrets the day he signed that contract.
Pressure exists, but some players feel it, and some don't. He's thinking about it too much. He just needs to develop short term amnesia, like an NFL cornerback who gets burned.
Previous to this year, pretty much every shot that he took had roughly a 50% chance of going in. He needs to take to heart the coinflip lesson: if you flip heads 10 times in a row, the odds of tails coming up on the next flip are still only 50%. The coin has no memory. Make or miss, he needs to forget every shot after he takes it.
If Devin Brown is an NBDL guy, what does that make Brent Barry? WNBA?
And stop acting like he's just standing there shooting threes. He's shooting threes at close to the same rate that he did last season. Last season, 59% of his shots were three-pointers. This season, 63% of his shots are three-pointers. If he would have shot ten (10) less threes this season, he'd be at the same ratio he was last season.
Your boy is sucking.
How is he trying to hard? Dudes probably been playing basketball for 20 years and he can't handle a little pressure. Maybe he's just past his prime
TimVP, why do you refuse to admit that the Spurs are structured totally different than the Sonics?
Don't give me that it's pressure...he's made the playoffs before...his team nearly beat us in 02.
That's just too lazy of an analysis...and it just doesn't add up.
And that ratio may be improving RECENTLY due to some starts but it was way out of kilter to previous years for most of the season...
And furthermore...Brent Barry is not my boy...I have my reasons for defending him but people with LONG TERM MEMORIES would remember I was a Jack fan and raised when we lost him...
This summer I said(talking with your wife I believe) we needed a pesky white guy since we lacked a proven clutch shooter...and I said Barry has too much game for the pesky white guy role and thought Jon was more suited to that role...but this guys problems are not choking and being a wuss...you don't choke for an entire season.
I know everybody loves Devin and Beno and while I trust Devin to an extent, he makes me nervous at crunchtime... I do not trust Beno because he's a rookie who is in the midst of the longest season of his career and he has way overachieved this season and he does disappear at the end games contrary to what everyone says.
Since we don't have a proven big game shotoer our team is strongest having multiple guys that can come off the bench and hit 3's...Saturation bombing. I just don't trust Beno and Devin to do that role by themselves game in and game out.
Barry is not going to Hedo us because his shooting is already down...if we get Hedoed it's going to be Beno and Devin that do it to us.
I don't want to get Hedoed again
Choking or sucking, whatever you want to call it (no sexual innuendos intended) the ball isn't going into the basket. What do you want the Spurs to do to help him along in the system?! Don't say that they never run plays for him or expect him to just spot up .. they don't.but this guys problems are not choking and being a wuss...you don't choke for an entire season.
I wanted Jon Barry too.
It's pressure ... plain and simple. I know you want to deflect it to something else, but the guy has never been a winner. What is the best team he was ever on? I bet his college basketball teams lost, too.
He's sucked in those playoffs.
2002 Regular Season
PTS: 14.4
AST: 5.3
REB: 5.4
FG%: .508
2002 Playoffs
PTS: 7.8
AST: 2.8
REB: 4.6
FG%: 41.2%
Nice try.
That doesn't make sense. Last year Hedo started out slow, had a stellar January, and faded from there. This year Barry started out slow, had a stellar January, and is fading from there. The difference is that Hedo played some D and could be used to guard long 3's, and Barry is obviously a better passer than Hedo.Barry is not going to Hedo us because his shooting is already down
Why should we think Barry is going to sack up in the playoffs and come through in the clutch?
I hold TimVP and Chump responsible for this crap...either they conspire with Pop to me over on minutes bets and season record predictions or else they have some kind of psychic link and are one with the Pop... -2.3% wrongness has Pop's fingerprints all over it.
I am leaning towards the psychic link thing...and since they have both had a season long hateon for Barry I think it has been transmitted to Pop, Barry is sensitive and knows he is disliked and it is hurting Barry's feelings and making him miss shots.
To solve this I think TimVP and Chump should start saying nice things about Barry. It's on them.
timvp liked the Brent Barry signing more than I did when it happened. He isn't a Barry hater. But he's always been skeptical if he was going to be able to come through when it matters.I hold TimVP and Chump responsible for this crap...either they conspire with Pop to me over on minutes bets and season record predictions or else they have some kind of psychic link and are one with the Pop...
I am leaning towards the psychic link thing...and since they have both had a season long hateon for Barry I think it has been transmitted to Pop, Barry is sensitive and knows he is disliked and it is hurting Barry's feelings and making him miss shots.
To solve this I think TimVP and Chump should start saying nice things about Barry. It's on them.
Nice try? They lost that series 2-3 in a 5 game series...thank god for Tim Duncan.I wanted Jon Barry too.
It's pressure ... plain and simple. I know you want to deflect it to something else, but the guy has never been a winner. What is the best team he was ever on? I bet his college basketball teams lost, too.
He's sucked in those playoffs.
2002 Regular Season
PTS: 14.4
AST: 5.3
REB: 5.4
FG%: .508
2002 Playoffs
PTS: 7.8
AST: 2.8
REB: 4.6
FG%: 41.2%
Nice try.
They just happened to be playing a pretty stout defensive team(us) that held a 4th quarter lead in every game against LA the eventual champions...and oh yeah...he had pretty decent defender on his azz for that series that goes by the name of Bruce...
What would your PCT's be with Bowen whupping on you?(and he did whup up on Barry in that series)...take the Bowen factor into account and Barry played well. Certainly wasn't a choke as Tim Duncan was the only reason we won.
Don't act like Seattle did a great job and played the Spurs to the brink. Do you remember that David Robinson and Tim Duncan were missing for parts of that series?
Tim Duncan will miss Game 4 of the Spurs' playoff series against the SuperSonics because of the death of his father, leaving the team without both of its formidable 7-footers.
David Robinson will not be in uniform for the third straight playoff game after straining his lower back late in the regular season.
Because Barry has played well in the clutch all season...depending on your definition of clutch...late in games he has been clutch all season and RVB posted the stats to back that claim up.
As for Hedo...I thought Hedo played well once he started and sucked worse than Barry prior to it...And Hedo wanted to get paid. That was all he was worried about.
And Barry doesn't need to start...
Barry's best season as a 3 point shooter he came off the bench...
I did? I know I wanted Stephen Jackson more than Brent Barry. I've always thought Jon Barry was better than Brent Barry for the Spurs.timvp liked the Brent Barry signing more than I did when it happened.
After the signing, I figured it'd be a good move because Brent Barry was going to come to town burning down the nets. What the Spurs lost in defense, they made up for with a shooter and a good passer. The Spurs had added someone with a high basketball IQ!
Or so I had thought.
Yeah...that's why I said thank god for Tim Duncan, because they beat us every game Duncan missed....so much for Barry choking. Take Tim Duncan off that team and we are the chokers.
I didn't say you loved the signing. I said you liked it more than I did. You wanted a lot of people more than you wanted Brent Barry, but I was just clarifying you weren't hating him from the get-go.
In any case...I think Bruce Bowen is a pretty good excuse for having a subpar shooting series...
First off let me touch on the Devin Brown issue since he is always brought up in conversations about Brent Barry. Devin Brown is our most exciting, dangerous, hustling, scoring defensive player on the court for extended stretches of games. He also has no fear. If Popp tells him to get to the basket he does it. If Pop wants someone to shoot that three even with a hand in his face Brown will do it. He will do it every time. At this point in the season there is only one Spurs he could have been compared to and that was Malik Rose. He has the heart of a champion and the willingness to do whatever it takes. He has truck loads of pride but is 100% humble. There are quite a few players on this team who could learn a couple things from Brown.
Enough of that now back to the original subject.
Barry was brought in to do one thing and one thing only-make big shots in the playoffs. What he does in the regular seaosn means absolutely nothing. Barry only has to hit one big shot in the playoffs at the right time and all will be forgiven. Right now he doesnt have his touch but you can tell he wants it bad. I say with the playoffs getting so close its time to shorten the guard rotation and give Barry back up minutes at the PG position. That is where the great white hope can really shine. If you arent going to give him Tony's back up and crunch time minutes (since we all know Tony dissappears in the crunch) then give him Bowens so his only responsibility is to throw up corner 3's all day. Popp has to find a stable position and rotation for the guy though because as it is I dont even think he knows what position he is on the floor half of the time.
The Spurs can't afford to keep giving Barry more and more minutes. He gets blown by on defense and hasn't scored a basket in two games. He has to fight his way out of his "slump" or whatever on his own in whatever minutes he gets.
His lack of offensive production is usually more than made up for by his defensive effort. You dont need to score double digits as long as you are holding the other teams best scoring to ten points less than his average per game or making him shoot 10% worse.
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