Infor on Barry (Celtics not mentioned)

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here's an interesting column on Brent Barry and the impact his absence
has had on the Sonics. Doesn't prove anything, but he certainly sounds
like a guy who could make a difference in Boston. It will be interesting
to see.



Mark



Sonics' struggles in Allen's absence spice up contract talks

By DANNY O'NEIL <mailto:dannyo'neil@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Brent Barry leads with his left shaking hands these days, protecting his
right hand that required surgery to fix a broken bone.

In the two weeks the Sonics guard has been out, it's hard to tell who is
hurting more: Barry or the team (24-27), which has lost six of the eight
games he has missed heading into the game tonight against Toronto.

The team's struggles during Barry's absence come at a time when his
future with the Sonics is a big issue.

The trade deadline of Feb. 19 is just eight days away, Barry is in the
final season of his contract and the Sonics are weighing whether they
can re-sign him -- and for how much -- or trade him to get compensation.

Barry has declined to talk about the issue, but teammate Ray Allen was
asked for his opinion after practice yesterday.

"We need veterans on this team," Allen said. "We need guys who know how
to win. We have enough young players as it is. He's a guy that has
proven himself. He knows the game. He's smart. Why do you not pay for
that?"

Barry is three or four weeks away from returning. The Sonics are 4-7 in
games he has missed this season, 20-20 with him. Over the past four
seasons, they are 13-21 in games without Barry and 140-123 when he
played.

"You don't pay Brent Barry, you send a bad message to this whole
situation," Allen said. "Me. This city. How serious are you about
winning?"

Barry's agent, Arn Tellem, has not returned phone calls, and general
manager Rick Sund, as per his policy, will not discuss specifics of
contract negotiations out of respect to the player.

 The issue is not going to be salary, which will probably be a slight
drop from the $5.4 million Barry is making this season.

The sticking point is thought to be the number of seasons. It's believed
Tellem is seeking a four-year deal, which he believes he can get from
another team this summer. The Sonics are probably more inclined to offer
a shorter contract.

Shorter contracts tend to be the norm for NBA guards older than 30
earning more than $4 million a year. Gary Payton, 35, signed a two-year
contract with the Lakers last summer for a salary just less than $5
million, and Scottie Pippen, 38, signed a two-year contract with
Chicago, though both are older than Barry, who turned 32 in December.

It's too early to say an impasse has been reached, but the issue is made
more pressing by the team's slump in Barry's absence.

Barry injured his hand Jan. 27 in the first half against Dallas. The
Sonics lost that game by two points, the first of seven losses in nine
games.

"Do we win these games if Brent is here?" coach Nate McMillan asked
rhetorically. "It's hard to say because we've lost games with him here."

The current skid started in mid-January when Seattle lost four of five
games to Eastern Conference opponents with losing records. Barry played
in all those games.

However, there's more than one month to consider.

Rewind a year for another reminder of the effect of Barry's absence. The
Sonics were 16-15 on Jan. 1 with four of their next five games at home.
Barry missed the first three games because of knee tendinitis and the
Sonics lost all those games, starting a season-altering six-game skid.

Allen's arrival in a Feb. 20 trade with Milwaukee sparked an 18-12
turnaround in the final two months of the season.

"There's no question what he does, and what he has done for me while
I've been here in this uniform has helped me out there on the floor,"
Allen said. "We've played well out there on the floor."

Barry has averaged more than 12 points only once in a nine-year career,
but scoring totals miss the bigger point: He is one of the league's most
efficient players.

"Brent is very unselfish," Allen said. "He just wants the right thing to
happen."

Barry doesn't take a lot of shots, but makes a high percentage as one of
the top spot-up outside shooters. He also has averaged more than five
assists in three successive seasons.

He is Seattle's only player in his 30s. In some ways, that makes his
presence more important, Allen said, especially with Ronald Murray, 24,
and Luke Ridnour, 22, in the current four-man guard rotation.

"Teams in the NBA are bad because of young players," Allen said. "They
do not know the game ... and right now, we've got a lot of young players
out there that need to learn the game to understand how to help us win
games.

"Brent knows that.

"No knock on Flip or Luke or Reggie (Evans), but these guys are still
learning the game, learning how to put us in the situation to help us
win games."

Barry's absence underscores his value.

"Do we win these games?" McMillan said. "I can't answer that question
because the plays that needed to be made are plays that have to be made
-- the defensive stops, the rebounding, the execution.

"But I like the chances with Brent being there."