Barry gives Spurs a new dimension

[Kori Ellis]

Barry gives Spurs a new dimension
Former Sonic's 3-point shooting figures to open lane for Duncan

By DANNY O'NEIL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basket...80_sonx23.html

When Brent Barry was a free agent, he didn't summon teams to his Southern California home like Kobe Bryant.

Barry didn't take a cross-country tour like Kenyon Martin.

Yet Barry's decision to leave the Sonics and sign with the San Antonio Spurs may turn out to be the most important free-agent addition in the Western Conference.

"I think they both fit," Seattle coach Nate McMillan said. "The Spurs fit Brent, and Brent fits the Spurs. I don't know whose move it was, whether it was San Antonio's or Brent's, but I thought it was a good pickup."

Today at 5:30, the Sonics get their first glimpse of their former teammate in a preseason game in San Antonio.

Barry made 45.2 percent of his 3-point attempts last season with Seattle, second-best in the league. Last time we checked, it didn't take multiple defenders to stymie Sonics post players. Usually a warm body or stiff breeze was sufficient.

So imagine how many more opportunities Barry will get with Tim Duncan inside. Or maybe Duncan will get more opportunities because defenders will be forced to be honest. Either way, it adds up to more opportunities for the Spurs.

"Brent is a 3-point shooter and he can keep the floor spaced," McMillan said. "You have to respect him."

In three preseason games, Barry has averaged 5.7 points and made only 14.3 percent of his 3-point attempts. The Spurs didn't bring him in for October, though. More like for April and beyond, since the Spurs made 30.8 percent of their 3-point attempts (38 of 124) in their six-game playoff series against the Lakers last spring, a slump underlined by miserable 3-for-24 3-point shooting in Game 6.

The Spurs have won two championships in six seasons. All four playoff losses have come to the Lakers, who ditched their coach, dumped their center and handed the keys to Bryant. Consider that the Kings added next-to-nothing, which is to say they signed Greg Ostertag, and the Mavericks lost point guard Steve Nash to free agency.

Houston is better with the addition of Tracy McGrady, and Minnesota didn't lose a player. Yet the Spurs' addition of Barry could tip the balance come June. That's what ESPN.com columnist Eric Neel predicted this summer after Barry went to San Antonio, and yesterday the same Web site had Barry pictured center stage on its NBA page.

Barry probably won't have to play as many minutes as he did in Seattle, as the Spurs have Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the backcourt.

"Brent is not just a shooter," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said this week. "I think he's going to raise the basketball IQ of our team. He passes well, throws it ahead on the break, understands our defensive principles already, and I think he'll be able to use his length in that regard."

[timvp]

Hopefully this is the game that Barry wakes up.

[smeagol]

If it's not this game it will be the next one, its doesn't really matter. But when the season starts, he will be shooting over 40% from the three point line and Sequ will have to find another subject to about.

(actually, he already has one . . . BENO SUCKS!, right Sequ?)

[Mark in Austin]

Consider that the Kings added next-to-nothing, which is to say they signed Greg Ostertag

That's some funny .

[T Park]

Ostertag >>>>>>> Massenburg + Marks.

[BronxCowboy]

Ostertag >>>>>>> Massenburg + Marks.

The difference is that while Massenburg and Marks are both longshots to get any regular pt, Ostertag is a pretty good bet to be the first big of the bench. Kings better hope he's better.