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Barnes has a little street in him and not many players on the Spurs do. Sure, a lot of opposing fans call the Spurs dirty (myself included), but the organization is still regarded as the class of the league. As many times as Bowen might kick Ray Allen in the back or knee Steve Nash in the groin, I trust that he's going home to his family after the game... with a guy like Barnes, I won't know what to expect on and off the court. The only off court question-mark the Spurs have had in recent years would be Stephen Jackson and they let him chase the money out of town.
Still, I think the Suns have needed this kind of tough, thuggish, athletic, and potentially explosive player and that's why I wanted them to sign Barnes after the 2007 season. His range is adequate, he plays tough defense, he hustles, and he can finish at the rim. He's not the most polished player or individual but that doesn't mean he's a bad person or bad teammate. Not all journeymen in sports are bad players... Dave Winfield played for a record number of MLB teams and he's in the Hall-of-Fame. Maybe he didn't want the Spurs, or maybe the Spurs didn't want him, but I'm pleased the Suns were able to sign him to the minimum and I hope he gets some playing time out there. I mean, Nellie benched Baron Davis last season and everyone thought there was some kind of rift, but does that mean the Clippers shouldn't have snatched him up in free agency?
