Game 28

7:30p PT

Fox Sports Prime Ticket

1260 AM

That’s what Baron Davis shot during the Clippers’ four-game road trip.  Baron hit only four of 24 attempts from beyond the arc, and when you take away the technical free throws, Baron turned only eight additional possessions into trips to the line.

28.6% from the field, a true-shooting percentage of 39.9% — however you slice the numbers, they amount to very bad news for the Los Angeles Clippers.

It’s fair to assume that, with the possible exception of Mike Dunleavy, nobody wants Baron Davis to emerge from his slump more than Baron Davis.  So rather than dwell on the unconscionable leaners, off-balanced prayers, and generally ill-advised bombs that comprised his 51 missed FGAs over the past week, let’s be more constructive.  In trying to claw his way out of this funk, what can Baron Davis draw upon?  When the shots have fallen, how have they materialized?

Let’s take a look, game-by-game, at where Baron is successful from the floor:

Oklahoma City [7-21]: Despite the fact that he needed 21 shots, this was arguably Baron’s most productive game of the trip.  He hits a couple of dribble-jumpers, though both inside of 18 feet with sufficient separation from his defender. The other five makes are as follows:

• Two layups on Clipper fast breaks.
• Two pretty spot-up jumpers with his feet set, one a 3PM.  How does he get the open space along the perimeter? With some smart, off-the-ball movement.
• One step-back 3PM, the only attempt of the seven that could be fairly categorized as an unequivocally “bad shot.”

Chicago [6-23]:  Baron has an awful shooting night from the floor, missing 17 attempts.   The majority of the other six attempts are heady, smart shots:

• Davis’ first make comes after a S/R, when the Chicago defense fails to recover.  Baron is left alone on the wing.  There’s nothing but open space underneath — so Baron makes a hard cut and Marcus Camby hits him there for an easy layup.
• Two dribble-drive layups — the first courtesy of a high Paul Davis screen, the second when Derrick Rose defends him to drive right and Baron goes left.
• A layup in transition.
• Two 3PMs.  The first three comes after he spots up on the wing, with his feet perfectly set, off a Mike Taylor kick-out.  The second is a step-back job after Nocioni practically dares him to shoot it.

Indiana [5-18]: Of the five shots Baron hits from the field, only one of them is a PUJ.  The other four?

• A nice set in which Baron comes off a little curl on a screen from Zach Randolph.
• A transition layup.
• A layup on a hard cut after the Indiana defense gets distracted by a deflected ball.
• A strong baseline dribble-drive all the way to the hole when he gets a step on Jarrett Jack.

Milwaukee [2-9]:  The less said about this performance, the better.  Baron works himself two good baskets:

• A high S/R with Camby at the top of the circle.  Baron steps inside the screen and hits an uncontested jumper from the foul line.
• Baron easily beats Luke Ridnour on a left-handed baseline dribble-drive.  He pulls up at 17 and drains the jumper.

Over the course of the week, how many 3PMs does Baron Davis convert off the dribble?  Exactly two.  To the extent Baron is a threat from the perimeter, it’s as a spot-up shooter with his feet set, coming off a curl or finding some open space in a drive-and-kick set when the ball isn’t in his hands. When Baron has control of the ball, he’s clearly better served by taking his man off the dribble all the way to the rack.

The Baron Davis 3-Step Program to Recovery: Transition, set shots, and dribble-drives to the hole.

There’s little to say about this one other than it’s very apparent that the Clippers’ starters hit a wall early in the first quarter.  Coming into tonight, the Clipper starters have averaged almost 43 minutes per game each over their past six games.  Add that eye-popping number to the final game of a four-in-five-nights stretch; throw in the fact that Milwaukee has played quite well since Michael Redd’s return, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Missing easy and open shots — particularly from the perimeter — is often a sign of tired legs as much as it is carelessness.  The Clippers fall behind 8-0 coming out of the gate, as they miss their first six from the floor.  What’s strange is that none of the first five shots are all that horrible:  Randolph, Gordon, and Davis all get fairly open looks from beyond 20.  Al Thronton misses an easy layup after beating Richard Jefferson off the dribble from the top of the key for a clean dribble-drive to the hole. Camby airballs an easy 10-foot jumper off an offensive board.  Zach Randolph doesn’t score until [3rd, 9:22] when he muscles his way inside against Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for a 5-foot hook shot.  Zach finishes with 4 points on 2-11 shooting in 24 minutes.

Early in the 4th quarter, Mike Dunleavy retires his starters and inserts DeAndre Jordan and Steve Novak, along with the other reserves.  Jordan suffers a great indignity on an attempted dunk at [4th, 5:05], when Joe Alexander administers a spectacular stuff job that sends DeAndre crumpling to the floor.

The rebounding problems continue for the Clippers perimeter players.  Davis, Gordon, and Thornton combine for five rebounds in 82 collective minutes.   Baron Davis ranks 43rd out of 66 eligible PGs in rebounding rate; Eric Gordon ranks 69th out of 74 SGs; Al Thornton ranks 49th out of 58 at the small forward.  Overall, the Clippers rank 21st, which gives you an impression of the load Camby and Randolph are carrying on the glass.

UPDATE: From The Canadian Press: 

Los Angeles Clippers rookie guard Mike Taylor was expected to miss six weeks after fracturing his right thumb Friday night against the Chicago Bulls, coach Mike Dunleavy said Saturday night.

Game 27

5:30p PT

KTLA 5

KSPN 710

It’s fair to say that the Clippers perform best in the halfcourt when Baron Davis is looking to pass the ball, rather than chucking shots from beyond 20 feet.  In two of the first three Clippers’ possessions in the first overtime, Davis distributes twice to Marcus Camby for two FGMs [a productuve third set is erased by a bad no-call]:  More...