A little under three weeks ago, Leandro Barbosa was still a free agent, unsigned and facing the legitimate possibility of not starting the season with an NBA team. Then, out of the blue, the Celtics came calling. Just like last year when the C's snatched swing-man Mickael Pietrus just days before their season opener, they did it again with Barbosa.
But this time is different. Barbosa and Pietrus are different players. Barbosa is a former Sixth Man of the Year, he's nine months younger than Pietrus, and he's actually healthy when he was signed, as opposed to Pietrus who was coming off right knee surgery and was never 100% at any point during the season.
Although his days of being a dynamic force off the bench -- ala his days in Phoenix -- are over, Barbosa is still a productive player. Barbosa struggled towards the end of the season with Indiana, which led some people to think Barbosa was in decline. Even though this is his 10th season, he is still only 29-years-old. Barbosa can still be a viable scoring option when called upon. And boy did he show that on Tuesday.
Barbosa spent the first half on the bench, eagerly waiting Doc Rivers's call. After seeing his offense go cold and stagnant in the third quarter, Rivers needed to do something to shake things up. So, with 16.1 seconds left in the third quarter, it was time for Barbosa to make his Celtics debut. Barbosa started the fourth quarter and immediately made his present felt. He connected on his first six shots and finished with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including hitting all 3 attempts from beyond the three-point line. He provided that instant spark that this offense desperately needed.
Doc Rivers spoke highly of Barbosa after the game. “If you get into a scoring contest and Barbosa’s on the floor, you’re going to feel pretty good about it. that’s how he’s played, that’s how he’s used to playing," said Rivers. "I love him, the way he attacks. He’s clearly not scared of the moment. He bailed us out. We got back in that game down the stretch and it was because Barbosa was on the floor.”
Barbosa adds to the slew of guards that Danny Ainge has assembled for this team. After seeing his team run out of gas due to its lack of reinforcements in last year's Eastern Conference Finals, both Ainge and Rivers knew they needed playmakers and scorers off the bench to combat the Heat. For the most part, it was Boston's starting five versus Miami rolling out nine legitimate threats. That is not the case this season, especially in the guard department with Rajon Rondo, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Avery Bradley (when healthy), and now Barbosa. Having that many options is something the Celtics haven't had in recent memory, excluding their 2007-2008 championship campaign, and should make them a more dynamic team.
Barbosa's desire to win a championship -- something he has yet to do in his NBA career -- and the chance to play with other great players were two of the main reasons he decided to come to Boston. “I’ve been to Phoenix, I know how [winning] is and with this team I know it’s going to be [demanded],” Barbosa said. “And I’m very, very excited. I mean there’s no words I can explain to you how I feel right now. I just want to work, give them what they expect, and win games and a championship. In my mind I have the championship and I’m sure those guys have the same thing. So we’re going to work together and I’m down for that too.”
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