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The Indiana Pacers are one of a few teams interested in free agent big man Earl Barron. Barron spent last season playing with the New York Knicks, and he would like to stay a Knick. New York is still considering re-signing Barron but haven’t come to a decision yet.
Barron is 7-foot, 250-pounds, yet he only averaged 3.3 points and 5.1 rebounds a game last season in 13.3 minutes per game (12 games played) with New York.
Barron isn’t the most attractive option available at the position, but he’s worth signing for training camp at least. He averages 4.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game over his career in the league. He shoots 38 percent from the field, and 72 percent from the free throw line, which again, aren’t the greatest numbers for a 7-foot man.
The Pacers still have a couple of roster spots available, and if Barron impresses during training camp, he could certainly grab one of those spots. The Pacers aren’t necessarily deep at center so picking up another big man may be good just in case.
I don’t expect much to come out of this if Barron does decide to sign with Indiana assuming the Pacers stay interested, but he could be a happy surprise. You never know until you take a chance on someone. Worst case scenario, Barron is signed just in case Roy Hibbert or Ian Mahinmi did suffer an injury. He only deserves a spot if he does show up during training camp (assuming he signs with Indy) because his past numbers don’t necessarily go in his favor.
Dylan Hughes covers the Indiana Pacers, NFL, and occasional MLB for Rant Sports. Check him out on Twitter @dylan_hughes24, add him on Google+, and like his Facebook page.
