The long summer continues as we wait for the Suns to bounce back and get Revenge. Next up is Leandro Barbosa. LB had a terrific season in 06-07. He won the Sixth Man of the Year Award, he gained some nationwide popularity and he became yet another star in the Suns’ lineup. Barbosa emerged as one of the Suns most important players and is fan favorite.
LB was a rock off the bench and played better in that role than his occasional starts. LB improved his scoring (18.1 ppg) and playmaking (4 ast) and become a consistent matchup nightmare. In fact, every career high game stat (points, assists, etc) for LB was posted this season. His speed and accurate jumper led to several scoring binges against hapless defenses. He also provided one of the best Suns’ highlights of the season with a buzzer beater in the comeback win in Chicago.
Just as fast as Barbosa’s growth has been, his popularity has exploded as well. Henry Abbott at True Hoop has been running a great series of stories about his entry to the US and the NBA. A great read. LB is a team guy and the team loves him. Reading the book Seven Seconds or Less really provides a great perspective of how much his teammates love LB. All the stories seem to establish that LB is great guy who really enjoys this team and playing basketball in Phoenix. The amazing fact is LB is probably underpaid for his skill level, but in terms of value- he’s right there with the All Stars.
The areas where LB can improve are pretty clear. He’s been working on his defense but he has trouble with bigger guards who post up. In games against Dallas, Stackhouse starts licking his lips when he gets matched up with LB. He can’t grow but he can work on technique and recognizing players’ pet moves. Finishing at the basket was a huge issue early in the season and remains a lingering issue. LB rarely finishes with his left hand and often accelerates past the basket instead of jumping into the rim. His great touch off the glass often saves him but it’s a fundamental thing that can be easily addressed.
LB had a rough end to his season. He struggled badly in the playoff loss to the Spurs and had trouble with his elbow that required surgery. After a season where he was the third leading scorer, his struggles against the Spurs hurt the team’s chances. Barbosa is one of the Suns’ best 1-on-1 players and spot-up shooters. Without his offense (and Shawn Marion’s for that matter) in the open floor, the focus shifts squarely to the pick n roll with Nash and Amare- and taking away options is the goal of the Spurs defense.
Revenge for LB would be winning a title. LB has had big playoff performances and it seems the next step in his evolution as a player is to have big performances in the later rounds and the Finals. Although he’s had his struggles in clutch moments, it seems he’s likely to be the player who makes a shot that PHX fans will always remember.
Original post by Hersey
