I feel like Barry has been appointed the Team Leader by Coach Stans, even if he isn't a vocal outwards leader, per se. That is probably a tough role for him to play. When we play teams with a better defense (UCLA didn't do so great yesterday) teams that extend defense out on the perimeter.....we will get deep in the shot clock and it is time for the "Leader" to step up. This is where Barry probably wants to barf, but goes ahead anyway and drives to the basket. I have to give him credit in this instance. He has two moves, one where he goes under the basket and shields the defender with the rim. This is his better move, the other one is the one that we all cringe when he serves it up, falling away, weak-style. Usually he ends up slammed on the court with no foul called and he walks off holding his wrist (we have seen this over and over).
Just like when Jarvis get abused by larger centers and he ends up rubbing his eye or head in some way(we have seen this over and over).
Yesterday for instance, I think Barry hit his first two shots so that would mean he was effectively 0-9 after that so one must ask when Ravern is 10-11 and Osby is shooting well and others are scoring well, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? continuing to hoist up bricks. Coach Stans has to ask that question, really it isn't a question, it is a statement to Barry, "Stop shooting please." Instead we hear in a hoarse voice on the postgame show, "Well Jack, Barry does the little things, hustling, stepping up, blah blah, shooters just have to keep shooting....." Except if you are Kodi, and you take miss a 3 early in the shot clock and Stans pulls you immediately. Kodi has to wonder why Barry gets to effectively miss 9 in a row and receive praise while Kodi gets yanked after missing one or two? I wonder that too.
To answer some on here about why Phil and Kodi don't play together, Rick would tell you that we don't have sufficient depth at 4 and that Phil has to give us that right now. I think that is false. For now with our current player situations meaning no Sidney, Osby backing up 4 is better than Phil doing so. Phil should get those minutes at 2. What that means is we have less of Barry at the 2. Barry can be an awful offensive liability. Osby needs minutes too. His is one of the most talented young players and he got what, 10 minutes yesterday? For the record, let Benock back up Ravern and Lewis back up Varnado (will be curious how much Reik can contribute).