We've got to sign Barry up for some role in the organization. Assistant coach, shooting coach, whatever. Can you imagine Barry on our bench in a suit waving a clipboard during timeouts for the next 10 years? That would be awesome! In all honesty, I think his fiery personality is tailor-made for an assistant coach role.
People are treating this like death. As if you need someone, something, to justify the "death" (waiving) of JB. Without a free agent signing, it's not justified to some. So let me say.. TIM THOMAS IS CRAP. There. Can we stop looking for just anyone to sign for no reason? The dude is a loser, he plays the 3 (he'd get pushed around more than STro or Juwan and suck more on D due to a lack of effort if he played the 4), and he's relatively inconisistent imo. Plus not that great in the locker room by most accounts.
Yeah, too bad he was hurt and hasn't played all year. We could have really used him at the end of the bench last night...
So Barry on a healed leg is slower than Wesley on a pulled hamstring? And how much worse could Barry's defense be than what we have? Luther is getting hammered and rattled by opposing PG's when he brings the ball up. I think Barry could do that and if he hit 3's at a 38-46% pace it would be better than what we have seen. The point diff while he was in would potentially be less than what we have the past 2 games. And it could free up rafer or head to drive or pop some 2p floaters. Sit Wes and let him heal or he is useless to us in the playoffs - kinda like last year's playoffs. Funny I should mention them isn't it?
I'm not happy about this move but like some others have been trying to say, Jon Barry hasn't really been able to help us too much this season and the dude is on his last legs. It just pisses me off that he had to go instead of Ryan Bowen...wtf? I am very convinced that Bowen must have some really bad pics of Gumby doing things because there is no other explanation for why he is still on the team other than blackmail.
Sign Barry as color commentator to replace Clyde Drexler or Matt Bullard!! He is comfortable speaking and very funny.
Even though he was not contributing, why wave him? It makes no sense....unless you are giving up on the season. DD
Barry hasn't been contributing, but if we had kept him he might have been able to help us in the coming stretch run. What really chaps me is that his shooting is exactly what we so desperately need -- and we dump him. Barry might have been a defensive liability until he was completely recovered, but would his offence and enthusiasm have made up for it in the meantime? I don't know, and that is another point that really grates on me. I have no idea if he could have helped us -- because I haven't seen him on the court. Why dump a proven veteran until he shows, on the court, that he no longer has it? After all, Barry dominated the first game of the season, scoring 24 points on 8-for-10 shooting. He still has to have something left. And if he doesn't, the least we could do in honor of his past contributions would be to let him to prove it on the court. And as others have mentioned, if we needed a roster spot, why not dump Bowen or Fitch? And if we needed a backup PG, why not try Fitch? Nothing makes sense -- unless, as DD said, JVG has given up on the season. But whether he has or not, I am upset. It's a myth that all of JVG's former players love him, with the implication that JVG must therefore be a terrific coach. For example, I doubt that Mike James is fan of JVG. The truth is that JVG has his pet players, and he is intensely loyal to them. (See: Bowen.) Of course they love him back. Towards everyone else, JVG is colder than an assassin. Barry's problem, I think, is that as a bit of a loose cannon he did not make it into JVG's charmed circle of totally obedient players.
Would you agree that our biggest weakness is a lack of consistent outside shooting? Barry provides that, sure his defense is not great, but JVG has let offensive role players go in favor of defensive ones, and it has not gotten us better. How is the Suns defense? Not all that great. I think the NBA is structured now to where you can play good or above average defense and good to great offense and you will succeed. The new rules do not allow defensive teams to thrive, you have to be able to score, or be somewhat 2 dimensional, right now the Rockets are not that. I think Barry should have been getting Head & Bogans minutes, but clearly CD and JVG are planning for next year already, or else they would not have released a player who could help them possibly reach the playoffs. Barry is game changer, in that he changes the way the other team has to defend the Rockets, and that is a good thing....right now the Rockets don't have another shooter on their entire roster, Barry was by far and away the best shooter. DD
Preaching to the choir DD. BTW Ryan Bowen is NOT a defensive juggernaut. He s/b our 15th player. We should at least sign JB to coach our players in 3p shooting; he could work with Hayes on a 10-12 foot shot. I still like the idea presented last night to have the perimeter shooters step up a few feet and shoot 2's! 2 is still more than 0
What a bizarre move. Barry didn't do much for us this season but I can think of at least one other player that was more useless. Its not like bowen does much of anything for us. He's a hustle player that appears to lack talent or developemental prospects as he's already been in the league for six years. Its not like we'd miss his 1.5 points and 1.6 boards per game. Hell Barry was getting the same number of boards from the guard spot. I was wondering if they'd make a move for JJ when I saw him freed up but didn't expect this. If they don't get JJ back (not sure he'd want to come back) or go pick up Tim Thomas (cringe) then what did this really accomplish other than putting a veteran guard out to help some young team make a stronger playoff run? What point guard is out there in free agency that would make this move worth it? Bench Bowen, activate Fitch and let Barry rest up just in case we make the playoffs. That way Barry can retire a Rocket after the season. We don't potentially help another team, I say potentially because if Barry is really not healthy then he may not be able to help anybody. Though that said if this is Barry's last season at least we don't hurt ourselves next season. Oh well, guess i'll sit back and wait for the splash... won't hold my breath though.
Some of these posts are hilarious. In one thread you guys are bashing the Rockets for not getting younger players and then when they do cut an older player a thread like this gets derailed with bashing of the Rockets for cutting the guy....LOL
If they cut him to sign a younger player it would make sense. But cutting him just because doesn't make sense. Even if he isn't on the floor playing he's still a good locker room guy who other players like to have around. And even at his age I think he can contribute more than Fitch or Bowen because he's a better player.
Here's a logic exercise for you: My neighbor little Jimmie is ready to play some ball, he's young and athletic. Maybe Rockets can sign him to make us satisfied with the youth movement?
I think it's our 2nd biggest weakness. 1st being keeping guys healthy and on the floor. Barry wasn't healty or on the floor and is most likely done. You mean when he's healthy. He's not healthy. I think we should have kept Padgett and cut RyBo, BTW. Or they know that Barry isn't healthy enough to contribute, unlike most people in this thread. Agreed. When healthy, which he was not.
Not just younger PLAYERS, but younger TALENTS. What young talents are there to sign for the remainder of the season? The only players available at this point of the season are waived old kegs just like Barry, or young scrubs like Fitch or Lampe, which we don't lack. If Barry can't help us, what makes you think another of the same kind can?
