Jordan Barnett hoping new environment leads to renewed success

Jordan Barnett still trying to break out with Spurs

It’s been mostly tough sledding for Jordan Barnett in this first year of his professional career. After failing to make much of an impact with several G League teams in 2018-2019, Barnett is back in Summer League. While his numbers haven’t dramatically ticked up, a new environment — and new coach — could mean an impending breakout.

Barnett has been more encouraged to shoot with the Spurs and has enjoyed being tutored by the team’s summer league coach, Becky Hammon. The second female assistant coach in NBA history, Hammon is considered one of the league’s top assistants and could become the first female head coach in league history.

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Barnett is still struggling to find his groove, with only 8.5 points per game on 50 percent shooting. However, it’s likely Barnett will find an opportunity somewhere, even if its overseas. If he can find a way to stick in the G League, all it would take would be to find his stroke to open up an opportunity in the show.

Kameron Misner finally signs with the Marlins

After a wait that spanned more than a month, Kameron Misner finally came to an agreement with the Miami Marlins on an entry-level agreement.

As you can see, Misner got slightly more than his pick was valued, which is quite impressive given how late in the game he signed. This is where his leverage as a college junior came into play, as Misner could have returned to Missouri for one more season.

One other noteworthy wrinkle in this saga...

Misner’s agent is Casey Close of Excel Sports, who was known for representing Marlins CEO Derek Jeter most of his Jeter’s playing career. That fact likely made for an interesting situation for both sides during Misner’s negotiating.

It likely came down to a game of chicken, and the Marlins acquiesced that he was worth the extra money. Congrats, Kameron!

Kelly Bryant Profile SZN

We had lots of fun during profile season last year, especially reading about how motivated Drew Lock was to win the Heisman and bring his home school to glory in his final year. This year, Ole Mizzou is getting another dose of national attention for their prestigious QB.

Every coach told him they’d prepare him for the NFL. Dooley showed him how he helped 2019 second-round draft pick Drew Lock embrace an offense that mirrored what the Dallas Cowboys use: intermediate play-action passes, throwing with a moving pocket and more focus on deep throws.

This is your typical profile stuff: motivations for the final year; overcoming adversity; growing as not only a player, but also a person. That’s not to say it’s not good, though. There’s lots of stuff here that we haven’t heard about the Kelly Bryant story yet. And quotes like this will get you jonesing for football in no time.

“Didn’t take long to realize he throws a beautiful deep ball,” Odom says. “He has been sold short on his ability to throw the ball down the field. That’s going to be a weapon for us.”

To be honest, when it’s your team and your players, it’s easy to lap it up again and again and again. I am ready and willing to read any other Kelly Bryant pieces y’all have lined up.

Fundraising? More like FUNraising!

In news that can delight everyone around the fanbase, Mizzou announced yesterday that 2018-2019 was a banner year for making that cold hard ca$h.

Thanks to the incredible generosity and passion of Mizzou fans everywhere, the Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF) raised $40.72M in support of Mizzou’s 550 student-athletes, the third-largest fund-raising year in TSF history, behind a record $50.4M raised in 2017-18 and $45.7M in 2011-12, which marked Mizzou’s entry into the Southeastern Conference. Included in that total was a record-tying $11.4M raised during TSF’s giving year, which allowed it to surpass $11M in support of annual student-athlete scholarships for the third-straight year for the first time ever.

The linked release includes lots of information of note, including breakdowns of the money donated and where this year ranks amongst the last 10 years of fundraising. One specific clause caught my eye.

...said Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk, who has overseen two of the three largest fund-raising years in the department’s 128-year history since his arrival in August 2016.

Flex on ‘em, Jim.