Barry Proving a Point

By Bill Ingram
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Nov 28, 2006, 09:25


The San Antonio Spurs worked the phone lines over the summer trying to find a taker for Brent Barry. The acquisition of Michael Finley a year earlier had rendered Barry a fifth wheel for the Spurs, and after Finley showed he could stay healthy for 82 games plus the playoffs the Spurs were convinced that they would be better off finding a taker for the last two years of Barry’s four-year, $19.6 million deal.

It didn’t happen.

There were interested teams, of course, but the strings that came with the offers the Spurs received made it more worthwhile to simply keep their veteran guard, even though he seemed to be so much redundant talent. Manu Ginobili would start, Michael Finley would be the first back-up, and any other minutes that came along would fall to Barry. That was the plan, anyway.

Manu Ginobili is always a candidate to miss games due to injuries, meaning that having a solid back-up for him is critical to the Spurs’ success. Manu’s frenetic style, while confusing to defenders, opens him up to injuries. His love for sliding across the floor after loose balls doesn’t help that situation, either. Last year Finley played in 77 games, starting 18 times, and proved he still had plenty of game left in his aging legs. He scored better than 10 points per game and shot 40% from downtown. The team always missed Manu, but knowing Finley was ready to step in made it easier for the Spurs to stay on track when their Argentinean star was out.

This year Finley seems to be losing his race against age. Through 14 games Finley is shooting just 33% from the field, 25% from three-point range, and averaging right at six points per game. Meanwhile, Brent Barry is the team’s fourth-leading scorer right behind Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Ginobili. Barry is scoring just under 10 points per game in 21 minutes per game off the bench. He’s hitting 53% from the field, 55% from behind the arch, and 92% from the free throw line. The importance of that last stat cannot be underestimated for a Spurs team that is habitually among the worst teams in the league in free throw percentage.

Still think Brent Barry should be on his way out of town?

Whether it’s scrapping for loose balls, knocking down open threes, or providing sure-handed on-court leadership, Barry is proving his critics wrong once again. You can bet that there are a number of teams across the NBA who are wishing they had paid a little more attention when the Spurs called about Barry – though the Spurs are relieved that they didn’t.

Barry is playing incredibly well, I no longer cringe when he throws up a shot. I just hope he can keep it up now that he's not wearing the headband anymore.

With all due respect to Barry who I think is playing well this season I'd really like Manu to return and play.

Finely has really gone from old to too old in just one summer and that's too bad.He played good last season.

But I guess Barry would fill the hole until Manu returns.