"Leandro Barbosa still has a big role with the Suns. It's just not as big.

Barbosa has reclaimed court time alongside Steve Nash but still is playing less than in the past now that Goran Dragic has taken hold of the backup point-guard time. Barbosa also has struggled with injuries and performance.

"It's a little bit of a new role for him in that we can't seem to get him as many minutes as in the past," coach Alvin Gentry said. "But that could all change in a week. As I told the guys, 'You'll be called on at some stage to do things to help us win, and you have to be focused on that right here.' That might end up being 15 minutes or 30 minutes.

"LB's very important to our team. We've made that very clear to him. He gives us that punch off the bench sometimes that we don't have."

Barbosa entered Monday averaging 19.6 minutes per game, his lowest average since 2004-05.

His 44 percent shooting and 35 percent 3-point shooting are career lows.

Barbosa said his ankle is healed but added that his right wrist still bothers him. He plans to have off-season surgery to remove a cyst.

"The pain's still there," Barbosa said. "It's still clicking when I dribble the ball. Sometimes it's very bad. Sometimes it's not. Sometimes when I shoot and snap the wrist it hurts a lot, but I've got to be tough on that one.""