2000-01 In Review: You might not know it, but Brent Barry is one of the most dynamic and multi -talented offensive threats in the entire NBA. This despite the fact that he doesn't even start. Sure, Barry has had the talent ever since entering the NBA from OSU in 1995, but only last year did he really make good on the promise, a rare package of skills that has enabled him to put on his resume both a Slam Dunk Championship (in 1996, his rookie year, as Barry displayed that white men can indeed jump) and a 3 Point Percentage Championship (picked up last season). The season started slowly for Barry, as he lost his starting job to rookie Desmond Mason, but picked up after Nate McMillan took over as Sonic head man. McMillan put Barry back into the starting five for much of December, and also encouraged him to become more agressive offensively. In mid-March, after Barry returned from injury, the transformation of his game was truly complete. The Sonics were a better team with him in the game, providing ball handling that enabled Gary Payton to play off the ball, three point shooting that made the opposition fear double teaming, snappy passes on the fast break, and the occasionall well-timed aggressive drive to the basket, usually resulting in a dunk and/or foul.

Previous NBA Career: A draft day trade sent Barry from Denver to the L.A. Clippers as part of a package for second pick Antonio McDyess. Barry had a solid rookie season, capped by the Dunk Championship, in which he played both guard spots for the Clips. And then he regressed. In '96-'97, Barry missed 23 games due to injury, lost almost 70 points on both his field goal and 3-point percentages, and dropped 2.5 points per game off his average. Suddenly, the Clippers no longer regarded him as a key part of their future, and after further inconsistent play during his third season, an impending free agent Barry was dealt to a Miami team which didn't really need him at the deadline for Issac Austin. Barry struggled to learn the complicated Pat Riley system, and was left of the Heat playoff roster, though Riley viewed him as a valuable project, hoping to turn Barry into a point guard. After the season, the Chicago Bulls decided to make Barry the replacement for Michael Jordan as Bull shooting guard, signing him to a lucrative contract. This pressure did not agree with Barry, and his percentages were down nearly across the board. After the season, in order to clear cap room, the Bulls dealt Barry to the Sonics for aging guard Hersey Hawkins. In his first year in Seattle, Barry was merely adequate, over- shadowed at times by backcourt-mate Payton, and being particularly unagressive on offense.

Shooting/Scoring: There are few in the NBA who are more efficient offensively than Barry. Want proof? His adjusted (or true) shooting percentage (which counts threes as 1.5 field goals to assess their true value) was a league leading 63%, and his points per shot ratio of 1.47 was also amongst the league leaders. And his league leading .476 mark from beyond the arc hasn't even been brought up. Barry can be effective from almost any point on the court. Take a step inside the line? Not a problem. Though he does not drive to the hole frequently, they are almost always spectacular, momentum-changing finishes. At the free throw line, Barry is excellent (.816). Obviously, a guard shooting primarily threes with a field goal percentage at .500 (.494) is doing something right. If Barry does have a weakness in terms of shooting, it's that he doesn't do it enough, instead looking to find a teammate too often. Some have claimed this is because Payton threatens teammates if they shoot too much, but that doesn't make much sense because Barry didn't shoot much in Chicago or LA either. Grade: A+

Floor Game: The Sonics don't lose much when Barry handles the ball as opposed to shooting it, because he is one of the better distributors in the league amongst shooting guards (hey, there had to have been some reason no less an authority than Pat Riley wanted to make him a point, right?) Like all Barrys (father Rick was a hall of famer, brother Jon is a reserve in Detroit, brother Drew is a former Sonic), Brent is an excellent passer, finding ways to get teammates open for good shots. If there is a criticism to be made here, Barry sometimes tries to do too much, leading to turnovers. Nevertheless, his assist/to ratio was 2.62, about adequate for a point guard, and better than those of two teammates listed as point guards, Emanual Davis and Shammond Williams. Grade: A-

Rebounding: Barry is a decent rebounder for a shooting guard, though he's above average if at the point. Offensively, because he spends so much time away from the basket, he's not much of a factor; he's much better on the other end. Grade: C

Defense: Man defense is clearly the weak link in Barry's game. Though he's not as bad as some critics make him out to be, Barry is a liability guarding offensive-minded opponents. For whatever reason, his solid speed does not translate to defense. His focus is questionable. That's not to say that all of Barry's defense is poor; his size (6-6) gives the Sonics a tall backcourt when paired with the 6-4 Payton, a key reason why Paul Westphal (a big believer in big backcourts) brought him over to replace the 6-3 Hawkins. In terms of team defense, Barry is far better, playing the passing lanes agressively and effectively, which often leads to Sonic fast breaks. Grade: C-

Intangibles: Barry is naturally outgoing and interacts well with fans, as he exhibited during an open shootaround when he grabbed a microphone and began cracking jokes about his teammates. He is also active in the community. On the other hand, could he perhaps work harder on his game? Yes, he might just have a bit too much of the laid back Californian attitude in him. Also a bit injury prone (missed 15 games last season due to injury). Grade: B

Overall: Until the NBA makes plus/minus figures (the amount a team gains or loses from their margin while a particular player is in the game) public, perhaps the best measure of the value a player has to is team is the team's record with and without the player in the lineup. In Barry's case, the value is clear. In the 15 games he sat out, the Sonics were 5-10 and went through two of their worst spells of the season. When Barry played, the team was 41-26 -- that works out over a full season to 50 wins and a seven seed in the playoffs. Nevertheless, he's been virtually a forgotten man this off-season, as fans in message boards lust over the potential of Desmond Mason as the starting off guard. This is a positive in a way -- he also has not been mentioned in trade talks, where Barry certainly could not bring back equal value. Barry did seem more comfortable -- and the Sonics more successful -- as a reserve, so allowing Mason his chance to start is not necessarily a negative. Grade: B

December 1 Update: Barry's fine play has this season as a starter could come as no surprise to any person who closely watched his game and his numbers last season. He has been an excellent partner for Payton in the backcourt thus far, and despite the emergence of Mason has continued playing in the neighborhood of 40 minutes a night. What has to be a concern is whether he can stay healthy playing this many minutes. As well, Barry's defense seems worse this season, as he's been forced to give ground on the perimeter to take away the drive. What's been a pleasant surprise has been Barry's rebounding, which has been excellent thus far for an off guard. Oddly, he's almost useless on the offensive glass and great on the defensive end.

January 1 Update: The month of December brought little change in the caliber of Barry's play, as he continued to provide the Sonics one of the NBA's better backcourts. What has been a surprise is that Barry has stayed healthy despite being asked to carry a heavy load; he's one of two Sonics -- along with Payton -- to start every game this season.

February 1 Update: Barry opted for quality over quantity in the month of January. While his scoring average dipped slightly to 11 points per game, he shot 53% from the field and 46% from the line while continuing to contribute with assists and rebounds. He also had back-to-back fabulous performances in leading the Sonics to a 3-1 road trip late in the month.

March 1 Update: Barry was nothing short of sensational in the month of February, posting clearly the best month of his career -- 58% shooting, 51% from outside the arc, 87% from the line, nearly 18 points, and better than five boards and rebounds a night. In Vin Baker's absence, Barry became a larger part of the Sonic offense, which was a primary reason the team was so successful at the end of the month.

April 1 Update: The key word for Barry in the month of March was consistency. With other players going down, he was counted on to be a critical part of the offense -- every night -- and responded with another 17 points per game and better than five assists and rebounds per night. Barry has scored double digits in 27 of his last 28 games; the other he had merely nine.