http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....2ab03b98.html
Spurs mailbag: Flight of the mango tree? Only a guess
Jeff McDonald
We here at the Mailbag don’t claim to know what Brent Barry is thinking. We haven’t tapped his phone. We aren’t in his head.
We don’t know for sure where he is going to wind up when his services go up for bid on Tuesday morning.
What we have here is a hunch. A gut feeling.
And that gut feeling tells us Barry’s new team will look a lot like his old team. Our hunch is Barry, essentially rendered a free agent during last week’s wheelings and dealings that brought Kurt Thomas to San Antonio, will re-sign with the Spurs, even if he has to wait nearly 30 more days to do it.
Our guess is he will essentially be a former Spurs swingman for less than a week. But it’s only a guess, not worth more than the virtual paper it’s printed on.
We’ll admit, from a pure playing-time perspective, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Some of the other teams on his list of suitors – Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Boston – could probably use him more.
With the rise of Ime Udoka in the rotation, the Spurs are having enough trouble making room for all the wing players they’ve got.
In the Spurs’ most recent victory, a 98-89 trumping of New Orleans on Saturday, Michael Finley – an erstwhile starter – managed to get on the floor for just 10 minutes, 45 seconds.
How many minutes can coach Gregg Popovich carve for Barry, who is still at least 10 days away from being able to play again after his second stint on the injured list?
The Rockets, Mavericks and Suns could find use for him as soon as he’s healthy enough. The Celtics would probably even offer him significant minutes at point guard.
So if Barry returns to the Spurs, it won’t be for playing time.
It will be for family – both his actual flesh and blood, and the fraternal bond of the Spurs locker room.
Barry and his wife, Erin, have been active in the San Antonio community since he arrived in 2004. His kids, as much a fixture in the Spurs’ locker room as their father, are entrenched in school here.
That will probably figure into Barry’s decision somehow.
(Something that won’t: His starring turn in a series of local H-E-B commercials, though it did give rise to one of our favorite e-mails of the week. From Tom, in San Antonio: “Come back Brent. You’re the mango tree.”)
Then there is the prospect of returning to the team with which he’s won a pair of NBA les. He’s familiar with the Spurs’ offense, he’s familiar with his teammates. There would be no learning curve.
When he’s ready to play, he can just play. That has to factor in, too.
Still, until Barry puts pen to new contract, anything is possible.
Our gut feeling is that Barry will follow his heart, if not his head. But that’s only a hunch.
Now on to the few emails this week not regarding the fate of Barry …
We are looking for size. We gave up a 7-0, 235-pound and 6-6 3-point specialist for a low-scoring, limited rebounder and he is only 6-9, 235. My question is how is this going to take control of 7-2, 300-pound Shaq or 7-4 almost 300-pound Yao to help the middle and he is not a scoring machine nor dominant rebounder?
-- J.A. Gutierrez, San Antonio
It appears you are relying far too much on what we in the business of making of words like to call “measurables.” Put down the game program for a second and look at the actual players involved in the Kurt Thomas trade. Yes, Francisco Elson was 7 feet tall, but he played about 6-9. Yes, Thomas is 6-9, but he can bang with 7-footers.
Ask Tim Duncan what it’s like to play against Thomas in a seven-game playoff series. (Hint: It isn’t fun. Sometimes you wind up with a massive wedgie). Thomas knows every defensive trick in the book. He is also a vastly better rebounder that Elson. And he will consistently knock down a wide-open 16-footer, something else Elson couldn’t always be counted on to do.
Elson is bigger and younger than Thomas. Was he not coachable to play better defense and be more physical?
-- Joyce, San Antonio
Elson possesses some basketball skills, but he just isn’t a very physical player. He isn’t wired that way. Asking him to be a grinder a la Kurt Thomas is like asking a fish to sprout legs and walk, or like asking Kelvin Sampson to put down the cell phone and stop cheating. Sometimes, you simply are what you are.
I hope the Spurs still have the rights for Steve Kerr and Avery Johnson. After recent trades that sent retired players to other clubs, it would be funny to make some deals and send those two away from their current jobs. I'm imagining Avery coaching the Mavs from the bench of the Timberwolves and Steve doing his GM duties from New York!
-- Daniel, Budapest
We can only imagine how the conversation went at Keith Van Horn’s house last week.
Donnie Nelson: “Yo, Keith. Wanna make $4 million the easy way? All you have to do is go hang out in a different NBA town for a couple months.”
Van Horn: “Sure! Where do I have to go?”
Nelson: “New Jersey.”
Van Horn: “Can you make it $5 million?”
How is Ian Mahinmi coming along? I would like to see him start along side with Duncan. Is that a possibility?
-- Mike, San Antonio
Mahinmi is flourishing in the Developmental League, averaging 17.7 points and a team-leading 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a game for the Austin Toros. But he’s also only 21, raw in a lot of areas, and still needs significant seasoning before he’s ready to be an everyday contributor in the NBA.
Wouldn’t be shocked to see Mahinmi on the Spurs’ active roster next season, but visions of him actually starting next to Duncan are a far-off dream at this point.
Letting Barry go is understandable, but Elson is a different question. He did a pretty good job guarding Dirk Nowitzki and I don't see Thomas doing that. This only works if you bring Mahinmi up from the Toros
-- Jim Miller, Navarre, Fla.
Though Elson’s role as a “Dirk stopper” is a bit overhyped, he did about as good a job of it as anyone else on the Spurs roster. With Elson gone, the Spurs will probably have to leave Bruce Bowen on Dirk for longer periods than they’d like, so you have one good point there.
Mahinmi, however, would be a non-factor in the Dirk-stoppage department. He’s just not quite ready for the NBA as it is. Throwing him up against one of the best scorers in the game would be a recipe for not good.
Is Manu getting a bald spot or my eyes playing tricks on me?
-- Daniel, San Antonio
Contrary to popular belief, Manu is not going bald. He just walked into SuperCuts and said, “Give me the Friar Tuck.”
Can I adopt Manu when he retires? When he's hot, he's hot. Gotta love him.
-- Carolee Moretti, Frankfort, Ken.
Go for it. But you’re probably going to have to fight the entire population of Buenos Aires for adoption rights. Good luck!
Ok that made meElson possesses some basketball skills, but he just isn’t a very physical player. He isn’t wired that way. Asking him to be a grinder a la Kurt Thomas is like asking a fish to sprout legs and walk, or like asking Kelvin Sampson to put down the cell phone and stop cheating. Sometimes, you simply are what you are.
If QUE GEE says "not likely", I'll go with that.
Flight of the Phoenix.
Mahinmi is now officially the new James White.
those iditos who write in those emails are ing re ed
I don't think anyone takes McDonald's disclaimer very serious. Evidently, Barry is back.
This was a much better mailbag from McDonald than the ones in the past where he was clowning people.
I always thought manu was bald. This mail bag did teach me one thing here. It is a hair style... not actual balding.Is Manu getting a bald spot or my eyes playing tricks on me?
-- Daniel, San Antonio
Contrary to popular belief, Manu is not going bald. He just walked into SuperCuts and said, “Give me the Friar Tuck.”
Hopefully Barry comes back.
Whats strange though, if he did come back, I have zero clue who they would put on the inactive list for him...
my guess is bonner or 3rd pg
Bonner more than likely yeah.
Vaughn or Stoudamire? Doubtfull.
well how many minutes can he even play after his injury anyway?
won't he have to take it kinda easy?
Starters
1 Parker
2 Ginobili
3 Bowen
4 Duncan
5 Oberto
Bench
1 Stoudamire
1 Vaughn
2/3 Finley
2/3 Barry
2/3 Udoka
4 Horry
4/5 Thomas
If healthy, that combo is unbeatbale.
Barry's announcement is Tue morn, right?
Supposedly he's going to let the Suns know if he will sign with them either late tonight or early tomorrow...the article I read that in made it sound like he's either going to the Suns or the Spurs..with the Mavs, Rockets and Celts now out of the picture.
The best argument I've heard for Barry staying in SA is that he already knows the system.
I'm not sure he won't get that many minutes as he's got a different skill set that virtually everyone else on our roster...IE, we don't have many 5 point quarters with him getting some minutes...
I expect his minutes won't change a whole lot...
Pop hasn't been able to evict him from the rotation in the previous 3 years and Barry actually plays like Pop wants now...
You misspelled 'idiots.'
Was that a typo, or schtick?
talk sbout sweet irony!!You misspelled 'idiots.'
Was that a typo, or schtick?
Still, I agree, I swear they pick the most stupid emails out of the bunch just to make themselves look smart.
I would be suprised if McDonald could hold his own here for 15 minutes...
Sure I want Barry to sign again but this dude just sounds like a dumbass everytime I read his .
Damn. That'd be one of a team. If you want to extend roles, you can look at it like:
Starters
1 Parker
2 Ginobili
3 Bowen
4 Duncan
5 Oberto
Bench
1 Stoudamire
1 Vaughn
1/2/3 Barry
2/3 Finley
2/3/4 Udoka
4 Horry
4/5 Thomas
Yeah that team, can beat anyone.
Phoenix
LA
Dallas
anyone.
Bring on the playoffs.
oh BTW
COME BACK BRENT PLEASE!!!!
Udoka can really earn his money this season as the small ball 4.
Yeah he had his moments tonight at the 4 spot and played decently.
Cleveland was probobly his shining moment as the 4 man.
Well, he probably won't be able to play the 4 against the Cavs anymore.
Very true.
Where I defer to your post "The Thomas trade looks better and better"
As for Barry, who knows? If it's really down to the Spurs v Suns, I don't think the Suns have shown that they are that much of a lock to win anything with Shaq up until this point. Oh well, we'll find out soon enough.
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