Canyon Barry – 2018-19 G-League Player Profile

June 20th, 2019

Canyon Barry

SG/SF – 6’6, 205lbs – Born 7th January 1994

   Iowa Wolves   

The latest from the production line of Barrys is Canyon, the first in a generation to unashamedly shoot the underhand free throw. This was his first G-League season after spending his initial professional campaign split between Finland, the Czech Republic and China; the Timberwolves signed him for about 25 minutes so that they could allocate him to Iowa, hoping he could develop into an NBA-calibre shooter.

The percentages Barry shoots suggests this is very possible. Barry has a quick release and works off the ball to get open, with the kind of shot that sets can be run for. He shoots with nice form and a high arc, running off the ball more than playing on it, but effective when he does given his judicious decisions on when to drive and when to reset. To look to Barry to be a creator, though, is to be overly ambitious; he is instead a spot-up guy and a floor runner who goes to the wings, dribbles and passes little (especially with his off-hand), and is there to do his one major skill. Sometimes he forces up shots and throws wild passes, but with a shooter of this calibre, you would rather he be overaggressive than passive.

Defensively, Barry exhibits good defensive reads and timing, although he does not have the best foot speed. Barry has decent size for the wing but is not an explosive athlete, therefore he has to rely on positioning and good reads to survive on that end. He just about holds his own, but he is the kind of player that an athletic ball-handling opposing wing would go at, and not someone you really want to have stuck in a switch.

Among all the G-League’s wing shooting call-up candidates, Barry ranks favourably, but is not top of the pile. Someone like Braian Angola-Rodas has the possession-winning ability on defence, even if he does not use screens as well offensively. Barry has played his way up from the College of Charleston to this point, aided by name recognition, but it will be difficult to get to the level higher than this.

– 20th June, 2019

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