By Randy Hill
FOXSportsArizona.com
December 4, 2010
When applied to Earl Barron, the laws of gravity are strictly enforced. Based on recent demonstrations, he's also a few pieces away from actually having a skill "set." Using cumulative statistics, it might take Barron about a week to achieve a double-double.
And he's a long shot to be tagged with a swell nickname like "The Pearl."
But these issues haven't prevented the Era of Earl to begin its limited engagement in Phoenix, where the Suns are riding a mark of 2-0 with the 7-footer in their starting lineup. OK, so we have to think of his contributions outside the box score, which credits the newest Sun with amassing 8 points, 6 rebounds and 0 blocked shots in just under 45 combined minutes during triumphs over the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers.
What the 29-year-old, former Memphis Tiger (who has had NBA stops in Miami and New York) brings is something the league's worst defensive team needed. What is that, exactly? Take it, Earl.
"I try to bring energy by just being active at both ends," Barron, who was signed by the Suns on Nov. 16 to fill the role of large employee after Robin Lopez was injured, said. "I set screens on offense and try to be a good help defender."
That seems simple enough, but Suns witnesses will embrace any contribution that slows down the opposition.
Anyway, through two games with the first unit in Coach Alvin Gentry's latest interpretation of a multiple-player rotation, mission accomplished. But you have to watch closely to understand why.
For, well, starters, Barron gives Gentry some inside assistance for Channing Frye, an unrepentant sniper who's been attempting to provide a physical presence while searching for his three-point stroke. He found it with a vengeance against Indiana on Friday, making 5 of 8 and finishing with 29 points. Now that Barron can be found using his fouls in roughhouse sessions with opposing centers, Frye also is free to swoop in from the weak side for the occasional blocked shot. He had three of those against the Pacers, including a vigorous erasing of an important Mike Dunleavy runner late in the game.
Earl only made it to the court for 1:22 of the fourth quarter but still managed to have a positive impact on the game's outcome.
While missing seven of his nine field-goal attempts and four of his six free throws against the Pacers, the relatively nimble Barron produced enough activity to provoke three early fouls from Indiana center Roy Hibbert.
He made this happen by diving toward the rim whenever Hibbert left him to stop dribble penetration by Steve Nash. Barron and his limited bounce were unable to finish at the rim, but the late-arriving Hibbert was fouling to stop him. When Indiana had the ball, Barron used his agility (and great effort) to fulfill his duty of fronting the 7-2 Hibbert while teammates performed the lob-help assignments with increased awareness.
Hibbert, who was averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds, managed just 8 and 1, respectively, in 18 minutes for a Pacers team that arrived in Phoenix one game over .500. With Grant Hill and his cronies holding Pacers star Danny Granger to 8 points on 2-of-13 shooting, the Suns limited Indiana to 38 second-half points in the second night of a back-to-back work shift.
It was a pleasure to watch and hardly an accident.
After a couple of days in Gentry's practice lab, the Suns have tweaked a few defensive principles (especially on ball screens and greater emphasis on forcing sideline/baseline), and limited two decent offensive teams (in terms of scoring efficiency) to an average of 99 points. That's 11 points less than the Suns have been allowing, so who are we to quibble?
But aside from tactics, a recent defensive skid (even for them) demanded much more sweat.
"I think it was a little of both," Hill said when asked to weigh the importance of scheme vs. an aggressiveness upgrade. "This week, we had our most defensive-minded practices. We worked really hard on making certain adjustments ... it's hard putting in new concepts. But we definitely had to improve our effort, too. It just got to be a point where enough was enough."
It should be noted that the Warriors, Pacers and Suns attempted fewer shots than normal in these two guys, making it a bit easier to keep those point totals lower. The Suns, who lead the league in points per game, took a bit of a scoring dip, as well, but don't seem to mind.
After outrebounding Golden State by seven, Phoenix had 10 less rebounds than Indiana, reminding us there's a long way to go. But this commitment to playing harder and smarter also produced 25 Pacers turnovers that generated 26 points for the Suns.
"I thought our close-outs were a little better," Gentry said. "We closed out and we also were a little more aggressive in our switches."
With Barron representing an aggressive line-up switch, his Suns teammates at least can see the results of what happens when you're focused on a five-against-the-ball defensive concept. When Lopez returns to fitness (or perhaps much sooner), the Era of Earl probably will be over. But by then, Barron's work with the starting lineup may have assisted Gentry in establishing on-court chemistry between his first and second units.
Until then, feel free to marvel at Earl's hang-around time.
