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  1. 04-03-2008 #1
    Bruno
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    http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.370d9f7.html

    Web Posted: 04/02/2008 10:31 PM CDT
    Jeff McDonald
    San Antonio Express-News

    Lawns around San Antonio are beginning to green. Trees are beginning to bud. The River Walk soon will start teeming with tourists.

    It is April in San Antonio, which means one thing for the city's NBA franchise: Robert Horry, the Spurs' most decorated playoff performer, should start making big shots any day now.

    Except Horry has spent the past six games in street clothes, nursing a left knee contusion that seems to be healing more slowly than expected.

    It is an ill-timed setback in a season full of them for the 37-year-old reserve forward. With the playoffs just weeks away, Horry's latest misfortune has cast doubt on whether he will be able to reprise his annual role as a postseason shot-maker.

    "I'm not sure where he is, health-wise," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "As far as whether he's going to be able to help or not, I just don't know."

    Horry, who has played in a team-leading 229 postseason games, isn't the only playoff veteran in question as the Spurs churn down the home stretch.

    Brent Barry hasn't played since re-signing with the team on March 23. He is still recovering from a torn calf muscle that knocked him out of commission in January.

    As the Spurs have cruised to an eight-game winning streak, shifting further into playoff mode by the day, Horry and Barry — key supporting players on le teams in 2005 and 2007 — have been the forgotten men.

    Both are expected to return before the regular season ends. Whether either player can find his rhythm in time to earn significant playoff minutes is the million-dollar question.

    "Those guys are important to what we want to do," Tim Duncan said. "We hope to get them back and get a couple of games under their belt so they can shake some of the rust off."

    Horry has played in 45 games this year, ensuring a career-low in what is expected to be his final NBA season.

    Barry hasn't appeared in a game since Jan. 24. In the interim, Ime Udoka emerged as a pivotal piece of the Spurs' rotation.

    Unlike with Horry, Popovich seems confident Barry, 36, will have some sort of role in the playoffs, though that role is loosely defined at this point.

    "I think in every (playoff) round since I've been here, Brent gives us a game, and Robert's had some big ones too," Manu Ginobili said. "They are a big part of who we are."

    Like most injured players, Barry and Horry have kept a low profile while nursing their various maladies. For both of them, it has been a season interrupted.

    Barry was off to his best start as a Spur, averaging 7.7 points until hurting his calf on Dec. 26. He returned three weeks later, but aggravated the injury on Jan. 24.

    He was still on the shelf a month later when the Spurs dealt him and Francisco Elson to Seattle for Kurt Thomas. Immediately waived by the SuperSonics, Barry waited the NBA-mandated 30 days and re-signed with the Spurs.

    The ordeal wasn't all bad for Barry, or for his pocketbook. He received an extra season of guaranteed money for his trouble.

    Under Barry's new two-year contract, the Spurs will pay him a pro-rated $179,351 for the rest of the season — on top of what's left of his $5.444 million guaranteed salary, which now comes from Seattle's coffers. Next year, Barry will earn an additional $1.262 million, the veteran minimum.

    Still, spending nearly 21/2 months idle hasn't done much to keep Barry in a basketball groove. After a season pockmarked by injuries and personal travails, Horry has yet to find one.

    He missed almost all of training camp tending to a sick daughter in Houston, and didn't play in his first regular-season game until December.

    Horry finally seemed to discover some semblance of a rhythm during the rodeo road trip in February, but knee and hamstring woes hit in early March. He banged his knee March 21 against Sacramento and hasn't played since.

    "He hasn't had a good stretch where he's been able to go," Popovich said. "It's too bad, because about a month ago he was starting to play well, and then he went down again."

    Whether Horry can recover in time to provide another signature postseason moment remains to be seen. For now, his annual rite of spring is still on hold.
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  2. 04-03-2008 #2
    timvp
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    Under Barry's new two-year contract, the Spurs will pay him a pro-rated $179,351 for the rest of the season — on top of what's left of his $5.444 million guaranteed salary, which now comes from Seattle's coffers. Next year, Barry will earn an additional $1.262 million, the veteran minimum.
    Nice

    That's a good bargain for Barry. If he were a free agent this summer, he'd make more than that.

    However, if Barry struggles to recover from his calf injury, I wouldn't be surprised to see him retire this summer.
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  3. 04-03-2008 #3
    Bruno
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    Both are expected to return before the regular season ends. Whether either player can find his rhythm in time to earn significant playoff minutes is the million-dollar question.
    It worries me more about Horry. Barry usually come back well from injuries, even this time he has been out way more time than before. My main worry about Barry is that he re-injured his calf.
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  4. 04-03-2008 #4
    Bruno
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    Quote Originally Posted by timvp
    Nice

    That's a good bargain for Barry. If he were a free agent this summer, he'd make more than that.

    However, if Barry struggles to recover from his calf injury, I wouldn't be surprised to see him retire this summer.
    Yes, it's a good news to have Barry locked at the min. Aside his calf trouble, Barry doesn't look done.

    It will be also interesting to see how Spurs FO manage Spurs roster next year. Spurs need some youth but if most vets come back, it will be hard to make romm for younger players.
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  5. 04-03-2008 #5
    timvp
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruno
    It worries me more about Horry. Barry usually come back well from injuries, even this time he has been out way more time than before. My main worry about Barry is that he re-injured his calf.
    Agreed. Horry is more of a rhythm player while Barry usually plays best when he's banged up anyways. But Barry's chances of re-injuring his calf for the third time and ending his season have to be > 50%. I'd be pretty shocked to see Barry able to finish out the season and the playoffs. I'm just hoping he can help the Spurs out in the next month or so. A calf strain for a 36-year-old is only going to really heal over the summer.

    If Horry isn't in rhythm by the time the playoffs start, it's going to be hard for Pop to use him at all in the playoffs. If you look over his career, the only years he's struggled in the playoffs is when he's dealt with injuries near the end of the regular season.
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  6. 04-03-2008 #6
    wildchild
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    Quote Originally Posted by timvp
    If Horry isn't in rhythm by the time the playoffs start, it's going to be hard for Pop to use him at all in the playoffs. If you look over his career, the only years he's struggled in the playoffs is when he's dealt with injuries near the end of the regular season.
    I don't want to scare you or anything but it's Matt's time in playoffs?

    I'm scared to death just kidding
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  7. 04-03-2008 #7
    T Park
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    Horry will be fine.
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  8. 04-03-2008 #8
    G-Nob
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    I think they said on the broadcast the other night that it was a calf injury that ended Brent's brother Jon's career.
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  9. 04-03-2008 #9
    The Truth #6
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    Good news to finally get details of Barry's contract. I'm curious what are his plans, as well as what the Spurs hope for him next season. With such a low contract next year, I can't tell if Barry is happy to play one more year in a reduced role, or, the contract is just a bargaining chip for them to trade in the way they traded Danny Ferry's contract at the end of the 03 Summer.

    If he's healthy, I would take him back but not both he and Finley. One of them has to go.
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  10. 04-03-2008 #10
    Russ
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    Horry? Knee contusion?

    Somehow I think he'll gut it up and be there for the playoffs.
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  11. 04-03-2008 #11
    T Park
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    Quote Originally Posted by Russ
    Horry? Knee contusion?

    Somehow I think he'll gut it up and be there for the playoffs.

    Exactly.
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  12. 04-03-2008 #12
    BonnerDynasty
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    Horry is just passing the torch to Bonner.

    Spurs fans will panic but Bonner will carry this team on his back. Do not be afraid.
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  13. 04-03-2008 #13
    boutons_
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    Earlier, we said all Horry needed was some PT at the end of the season to crank up, to lose the rust for the playoffs. hmm.

    It was great, even surprising, seeing him so active and aggressive in the games just before he got hurt.

    Yeah, I know they're ugly, inelegant, but I wonder if Robert would be healthy today if he had been wearing knee pads? Knees, knee to knee is bone to bone ouch, get banged a lot and are a common cause for missed games. Preventable injury?
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  14. 04-03-2008 #14
    Cry Havoc
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    The best part about this team is that with the way they are playing, we don't need to demand a lot from BB or RH. Just step in for 10 minutes a game, play good defense, knock down a trey or two. That would be enough for us.
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  15. 04-03-2008 #15
    Que Gee
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    It will be a big surprise to see Horry back.
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  16. 04-03-2008 #16
    RuffnReadyOzStyle
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    Seems like the team is rounding into some nice form without them, although it would be nice to have Barry for shooting insurance when Finley is off, and Horry for defensive insurance if the matchup doesn't suit KT/Ime.

    This is going to sound odd, but if Bonner needs some PT I'm not against it. His hustle has sparked the team a few times this season, and he seems pretty fearless. I think we might see one or two magic Bonner moments in the playoffs...
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  17. 04-03-2008 #17
    greens
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    Quote Originally Posted by timvp
    Nice

    That's a good bargain for Barry. If he were a free agent this summer, he'd make more than that.

    However, if Barry struggles to recover from his calf injury, I wouldn't be surprised to see him retire this summer.


    Can you tell me, though, why the Spurs re-signed Brent Barry when he wasn't going to be able to play in the playoffs, as has been reported in other articles as well? Also, Phoenix was very interested in signing him...

    an article:
    http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/p...?urn=nba,74991
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  18. 04-03-2008 #18
    timvp
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    Quote Originally Posted by greens
    Can you tell me, though, why the Spurs re-signed Brent Barry when he wasn't going to be able to play in the playoffs,
    Quote Originally Posted by this article
    Unlike with Horry, Popovich seems confident Barry, 36, will have some sort of role in the playoffs
    Plus Barry suffered a setback soon after re-signing. They re-signed him with the playoffs in mind ... and they still have the playoffs in mind.

    Quote Originally Posted by greens
    as has been reported in other articles as well? Also, Phoenix was very interested in signing him...

    an article:
    http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/p...?urn=nba,74991
    That article is junk. It's just a badly led recap of the above article.
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  19. 04-03-2008 #19
    greens
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    Quote Originally Posted by timvp
    Plus Barry suffered a setback soon after re-signing. They re-signed him with the playoffs in mind ... and they still have the playoffs in mind.

    So you think he will play in the playoffs, after all?

    And is his next year guaranteed also? Or partially guaranteed?
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