Grade C+
I’m awarding Barron the highest possible grade for a guy who played less than 150 minutes in a season. His name is literally two formal English titles combined, how cool is that?
Since I don’t have too much more on Barron’s game, I’ll relay why I’m such a fan of his.
Growing up as a New York Knicks fan, I learned to appreciate obscure role players inexplicably going off in meaningless April games and Barron is the guy I most associate with that hyper-specific nostalgia.
The first time I talked to Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, I off-handedly mentioned Barron’s weird outbursts and McDonough responded that it was part of the reason he signed him.
Who knew going off for 17 points and 18 rebounds in 2009 against the Celtics, would pay off in five years?
Barron wasn’t great on the court this year and had a disappointingly low rebounding rate, but he contributed in an infinitely more significant way than garbage time production. He set a daily example for a group of highly impressionable rookies and sophomores, when no one else on the team would.
In three years, when these guys are leading Phoenix on a deep postseason run (or at least a playoff birth), Barron’s contributions likely won’t be remembered, but he was undeniably part of the process.
More 2014-15 Phoenix Suns Player Grades:
Jerel McNeal
Danny Granger
Brandan Wright
Next: Phoenix Suns: 10 Takeaways From The 2014-15 Season (Part 2)