L.B. "The Great" <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It?s no longer Barbosa the backup. It?s more like ?L.B. the Great.? Barbosa hit the Suns? biggest shot this season when he drilled a 3-pointer to beat the Chicago Bulls in the closing seconds Tuesday. That was the difference between an ordinary 2-1 road trip and a sparkling 3-0 trip to the NBA?s far north. Barbosa?s shot was so big that it obscures his growing value as a point guard who can relieve Nash, rather than a guy who?s best at the off guard and shaky at the point. ?He?s doing a great job for us,? D?Antoni said. ?His turnovers are down. He?s moving the ball. And he?s always a threat to score.? Barbosa?s continuing rise ? he?s averaging career highs in scoring (16.4), assists (4.3), steals (1.11) and minutes played (30.1) ? is a source of pride for Dan D?Antoni, the Suns assistant coach and brother of Mike, who works closely with Barbosa. ?There was a question whether he could play point guard and make the decisions,? Dan D?Antoni said. ?Over the last month, he?s shown he?s very capable. Along with athletic ability, he can set people up. ?The game-winning shot was the derby on the head.? The next step for Barbosa, says Dan D?Antoni, is to learn to become a guy who finishes games, whether by a key pass, defensive play or shot. If he can do that, ?He can become a star in the league.? D?Antoni thought Barbosa?s highlight reel game-winner was a case of a good guy getting what he deserves. ?He?s a hard worker, a great guy and a great teammate. Those are the guys you want to do well.? Barbosa says he?s playing with much more confidence in part because of his work with the assistant coach. As for the big game-winner, ?I hit a couple shots like that in Brazil,? but never in the NBA.</div> Source
