In the summer of 2008, after Baron Davis signed a five year, $65 million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, the thought of the prodigal son returning to his hometown seems like a happy match for both the star crossed franchise and the temperamental All Star point guard. But after two years of waiting for Baron’s mercurial brilliance to outshine his dark moods, watching newcomer Steve Blake’s steady hand in running the Clippers offense is both a soothing and painful reminder of the inconsistency of Baron’s Clippers tenure. Though there have been occasional virtuoso outbursts from Baron, as when he scored 24 points in a single quarter earlier this season, there have been longer stretches when he made careless mistakes and seems genuinely bored with the game, which makes his rare outbursts all the more disheartening. It is difficult to reconcile the dominant, passionate, and energetic Baron with his bored, and disinterested evil twin. You watch Baron on his bad days and you can’t help but think, how can someone with so much talent play so horrible a game? Though Dunleavy made the trade with Portland to mainly free up salary cap for the upcoming free agency derby, the addition of Steve Blake to the Clippers has provided a sharp contrast to Baron. You look at Steve Blake and think, how can someone who is that slow, that skinny, and that short, be so efficient in running the same team? But more than their demeanor or physical skills, the flaws and strengths of both men seem to be mirror opposite of one another, and in a curious way, their flaws have come to define their respective careers.
After Kim Hughes got his first win against Sacramento, Fox Sports’ Dain Blanton interviewed Steve Blake about Coach Nate McMillan’s appraisal of him as an extension of the coach on the floor. Steve answered very candidly that; yes, he studies the game and prepare for every opponent very thoroughly because it is the only way that someone like him can survive in the NBA. In a league filled with trash talkers and players who wear their confidence on their sleeves, such an admission of one’s own physical limitations seems a bit out of place. And though, on the surface, Blake’s comment might highlight that Rudy-like adage of heart and dedication overcoming one’s physical shortcomings, it also provided a glimpse into his confidence and ease with himself. It is difficult to imagine someone like Dan Dickau or Rick Brunson making such an admission, as applicable to them as it may be, for their confidence and place in the league was tenuous, and their insecurity often drove their decisions on the floor toward disastrous results. That Steve Blake was able to admit his weaknesses so readily shows that he is quite aware of his own limitations, but that he is also assured of his place in the league, carved out by his work ethic and dedication to the game.
When Blake runs the Clippers offense, he seems to exude a calming influence. It is different than a confidence that great players have; that they can lead a team to victory by hitting big shots at crucial junctures like Sam Cassell, or enforcing their will upon the game and demoralizing their opponents like Jordan or Kobe. Steve Blake’s confidence, on the other hand, seems to reside in his lack of ego; the knowledge that it’s not up to him to win the game, that he only needs to manage the flow of it so that superior athletes on his side can have a chance to steal a victory. Because of this, he doesn’t seem to force the issue very often; he rarely turns the ball over, and he gets the ball to the right people at the right spot at the precise time. He only seems to shoot only when he is wide open, or when a defender cheats off him, or when he senses his team’s confidence is ebbing and needs a bucket to stem the tide. Watching Steve Blake play, and you get the feeling that he’s a bit too small, too slight, and not quite fast enough to be a legitimate NBA player. But somehow, someway, the offense flows a bit easier when he’s in the game, and the players around him play with a renewed sense of purpose. Blake might not be that special player that can win the game for you, night in and night out, but he’s not likely to lose it for you either. But for a young team with a fragile identity, one that can easily get discouraged when an opponent goes on a run, Blake seems to have the ability to steady the nerves of young and inconsistent guns that currently make up the Clippers squad.
Baron Davis, on the other hand, has been anointed as one of the great young point guards when he first entered the league from UCLA. It has been said of Baron that the game of basketball comes too easily for him; that his interests range far and wide, that his ambitions and talents are too vast to be constrained by the limits of a basketball court. Growing up poor in the heart of Los Angeles, at the height of Magic Johnson’s Showtime era, Baron can glimpse the limitless bounty that the city laid at the feet of its basketball prince; how someone who is as virtuoso on the court and as charismatic off it, can become an icon, a socially responsible businessman, a philanthropist, and perhaps even mayor of the city. Perhaps he was only following the advice of his grandmother, Lela Nicholson, who drove him to pursue the game seriously and who often reminded him that there is a life outside of basketball, and that the game itself is only a vehicle through which greater ambitions may be fulfilled.
That Baron aspires to Magic Johnson’s success as a socially conscious entrepreneur is a worthwhile ambition. But Baron seems to have forgotten that Magic refocused his energy as an entrepreneur only when his playing days came to an end. While Magic led the Showtime Lakers, he was fully committed to each season. And every loss, particularly to the hated Celtics, stung him deeply. Beneath the infectious smile and genuine love of the game, Earvin Johnson was not a man who took losing lightly. And Magic would not tolerate teammates who did not feel the pain of loss as profoundly as he. After they lost to the Celtics in the 1984 NBA Finals, Magic sunk into a deep depression. He later admitted that he locked himself in his home and disconnected the telephone for a week, so despondent that he could not imagine talking to anyone. Years later, Magic said that loss was one of the most disappointing of his career, because it was another championship that should have been theirs, but one that they had let slipped through their fingers. It was as if they had failed to fulfill a destiny that they had worked so hard to attain, and that they had failed to honor something special within themselves.
The city of Los Angeles adopted the kid from Lansing, Michigan and the city became his town. Though there would be great sports icons after Magic — Gretzky, Kirk Gibson, De La Hoya, Shaq, and Kobe — who would lay claim to his title as prince of the city, no one can quite dislodge Magic from the hearts of LA sports fans. It wasn’t only that he won championships, or that he played the game with an infectious joy, or that he was as fierce a competitor as they come, but you also sense that Magic expended every ounce of his god-given ability on the floor, and he left very few regrets once his career came to an end. That he took the game very seriously when he could have coasted on his vast talent and superiority over lesser players, endeared him to fans. You felt that here was a man who did not cheat himself, and that he would not cheat us, and thus the covenant between an athlete and the fans they represent becomes a cherished bond that would endure long after his retirement.
In a way, Magic might be thought of as a perfect synthesis of our two imperfect point guards. Baron has some of Magic’s charisma, his ringleader ebullience, his uncanny court vision, the knack for making impossible passes look easy, and the occasional desire to make big plays at crucial junctures. And Blake has Magic’s focused dedication to the game, his probing and knowledge of every opponent’s weakness, and a selfless game management style that minimizes risks and benefits his teammates. But as invaluable as Steve Blake’s play has been to the Clippers these past few games, one has to wonder if pure competency and professionalism from a point guard is enough to lead a team to greater heights, or if the team will eventually need something more from its primary ball handler? Do you need someone who has an outsized ego, a supreme confidence to take over a game, and to hit big shots outside all rationale when the game is on the line? Baron has the contract and the ego to be that superstar point guard. But he seems to lack something more crucial; the attention span and dedication necessary to fulfill his potential. With Baron, you sense that the game of basketball remains only a child’s game, one in which he is content to play so long as it is enjoyable. But when the game stops becoming easy, when he is confronted by true adversity, when it requires that he goes deep within himself to some dark reservoir of grit and determination, he stops playing. It’s almost as if, he suddenly realizes that the game isn’t all that important, that there are greater ambitions and interests that define him, more than simple wins and losses on a basketball court.
And so, the Clippers organization and fans are torn between the two flawed alternatives. Do you choose the steady professional who is devoted to the game, who is a competent conductor of the offense, but who, in the final analysis, is unexceptional as a player and lacks that divine spark which separates mere mortals from legends? Or do you choose the temperamental star who has greatness within him but who lacks the will and desire to fulfill his once vast potential? Just as Steve Blake’s unexceptional athletic abilities drove him to become the player that he is, Baron’s natural strength, speed, agility, and charisma could have earned him Magic’s mantle as the city’s basketball prince. Perhaps Baron lacks Magic’s true love for the game, and is unwilling define his life’s success and failures solely upon his basketball career. Or perhaps Baron simply lacks Magic’s patience. With the NBA’s greatest point guard as his touchstone, Baron may have wanted everything that Magic has accomplished throughout his life right away; he wanted to be a showman on the floor, to bring the crowd to its feet with unbelievable passes instead of simple ones, to hit big shots and become the hero that the city deserves, despite lesser teammates who might be open, and to become something greater to the impoverished community from which he came. To be fair, Baron has achieved tremendous success as a basketball player, as there have been countless playground legends over the years who have never stepped foot onto a college arena and whose exploits have passed into the realm of urban myths. But in the final analysis, one cannot help but feel that Baron’s failure to fulfill his potential as one of the league’s great point guards will reflect badly upon his legacy, if there is any. To whom much is given, much is expected, after all. And if someone fails to honor what is best within themselves, do they deserve our full admiration? Or should our devotion be given to those who have made the most of their meager gifts? It is not a happy quandary for Clippers fans to have.
26 Responses
BD has to at least read some of the comments made on the many blogs regarding his lack of effort and consistency. if he had it within himself to change or put more forward he would have by this point. i would have been working my tail off to show all they were wrong. this is simply a lack of character and yes, i would chose Blake over BD everytime because with Blake you will not get a “star” performance but you will get “HEART” and consistent play each and every night. That is what character will get you!!!
Curtis Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Clipper fans are used to seeing their team lose and guys quitting on the organization, so regardless of talent, all we ever want from our players is for them to go out there and leave everything on the court regardless of talent level.
While Blake has only been with the team for a few games, I can honestly say I’d choose him over Baron right now. There’s just something calming about him that seems to put the fans and teammates at ease; whereas Baron’s inconsistency kind of makes everyone cringe.
Honestly thought, when are we going to get that Marquee player that will sling shot this organization to greater heights? Hopefully it’ll be Griffin and/or Gordon if Baron can’t get it together over the next three years.
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Blake starts with this team the whole season we are still not a playoff team. Bottom line we don’t have the horses. And even a fully interested and efficient baron isn’t good enough.
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 2:06 pm
As a Blazers fan, it’s painful to watch our team without Blake’s steady and heady play off the bench. Andre Miller is a great PG, but with both Andre & Steve we were rarely without a steady player that knew where the ball needed to go. Even his most staunch critics can see what value he brought to our team. Enjoy him while you have him, he is in the perfect role for your team. We surely miss him!
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Pretty fair write-up. It reads more like a criticism of Baron using Blake as an example more than an analysis of the two. It’s not an unfair criticism though. I agree that in the end, Baron isn’t completely dedicated to the game as the greats need to be. That’s just the way it is. You can’t tell someone to be fiercely competitive.
I’m a bit tired of people elevating Blake the way they have been though. He’s simply the new, shiny model and that’s why everyone loves him. They want to criticize Baron so it’s easier to overlook Blake’s flaws. If Blake was this team’s starting PG for the last two seasons with the likes of Mike Taylor and Telfair as his backups, people would be criticizing him too. There’s a reason he’s an NBA journeyman.
Btw, what’s with all the talk of Blake being too short? He’s 6-3. I know people want to paint him as a “Rudy” like underdog to contrast him to Baron, but let’s be accurate.
Krai Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 4:22 pm
I think that’s true MG, Blake is listed as 6-3, but because he’s so skinny, he seems even smaller than EJ when they stand next to one another. In a way, I suppose you can say that someone like Nate Robinson or Charles Barkley plays the game much bigger than their actual height, and someone like Blake plays the game at his height or smaller. You see this more in boxers with tremendous height/reach advantage who have a brawler mentaility; they put their head down and throw short hooks and crosses at close range, thereby making them seem “shorter” than their opponents. They are effective in their own way, but their temperament and style dictates their performance in the ring more than their physical attributes.
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Great article; this is an example of the incredible clipper fans we have. Baron’s success will be tied to blake griffin’s play. No one knows how BG will turn out, but there is no doubt he will give 100%. Baron is an emotional player- hence the swings between greatness and mediocrity. With the presence of BG’s fire, we will see a resurgent BD. Who else besides BG has the fire? I love EJ, but he does not inspire passion and the will to dominate. Kaman is also not an emotional lift, especially when he misses all the bunny shots. When BG throws down monstrous dunks next year, along with his incredible hustle and probable high-intensity defensive effort, BD will get energized. The bottom line is- BD will rise on a strong team but fade on a losing one. Steve Blake will be steady in both situations. Given the length and arduous schedule that is the NBA, you absolutely need both.
MG Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Well said. I couldn’t agree more about Baron needing someone to lift him up at times. He’s too emotional to carry the load on his own. That’s why he benefited from having Stephen Jackson to play with in GSW.
Condensed BG Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Wake-up guys. Anyone who expects BLAKE GRIFFIN to play like before the injury is day dreamin’
He’ll be cautious. And won’t try to throw down anything. He’ll excerise his calm dimeanor until he’s done with the Clippers.
Right now his only goal: To become NOT LIKE GREG ODEN.
And if Clippers wait for BG to carry this team they’ll be mightily disappointed.
No player wants to carry weight of the dead. Clippers have been dead for how long?
10?
20?
30?
40?
……Years.
How old is D.Sterling?
Josh Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:40 am
So Blake won’t be dunking next year. Darn. Pithy analysis O’ wise one.
Condensed BG Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:55 am
Anyone can dunk. I meant THUNDEROUS, EARTH SHATTERING, ACROBATIC plays by BG.
TNT57 Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Condensed is dead wrong. Blake Griffin will play like a maniac next season for one reason — that’s how he plays! Imagine being a race horse and getting locked up for a year. What are you going to do as soon as you can? Oh, and you’ve been sitting in the barn watching the other young race horses get their props and media attention. It’s human nature. Blake will play like his ass is on fire, I promise.
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Baron is the worst three point shooter in the league statistically. No matter what his other talent levels, until he can learn to shoot threes, he can never be an effective point guard. Magic came in as a poor shooter but became a good outside shooter by the end of his career, but it may be too late for Baron.
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Baron wanted to get paid. Every time his contract was coming up he’s asked for a new deal.
We had money.
That’s why he’s here.
We can expect the same type of players to want to sign with us in the offseason. Guys who just want to get paid.
The winners go where they can win, regardless of pay.
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 7:13 pm
I know it’ll never happen because of ego and contract, but I think Baron would be better suited for the bench. Blake with the rest of the starters could be a better distributor without taking many shots of his own, while Baron could be a little more “free” in the offense since the bench would be more limited in it’s firepower. He might still be inefficient, but it still might be better than what the bench normally brings.
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 7:45 pm
If I was Donald Sterling, I’ll tell Baron that if he doesn’t improve anymore we’ll trade him for whatever we can get. WHATEVER it is. For Shawn Bradley even.
This way Baron will either crushes Baron’s dream in LA, brings his ego down or he gets really better when Griffin comes back.
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Most of these responses are right on, as is the blog by KA…for all of you fools who think there will be a resurgence of BD next year….learn the game, the man is a narcissist who doesn’t care. I just came from the game and watched in bemusement as Rin Tin Tin(the only nickname worthy of Davis) nearly gave away the game single-handedly….while trying to force plays at the end resutling in numerous turnovers. And was amazed at how much better the Clips looked with Blake at the helm.
For those of you who dream of Lebron joining the team next season (a pipedream btw) Kaman, Griffin, Lebron, Gordon, and Davis….not enough balls to go around, Baron will never settle for just being a playmaker, that team would need a PG who only wants to shoot when necessary….a role player, a distributor, all of the things that Rin Tin Tin isn’t
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Back when Elton Brand was the team leader (yes I know we still feel bitter about him leaving), everybody at least worked hard on the team, despite not being very talented like Steve Blake. It just goes to show that the team leader will determine the mentality of the rest of the guys. Hopefully we can have Blake Griffin be our team leader next year so that everybody can play with 100% intensity (we are looking at the Baron Davis and Kaman especially)…althought I would like more effort from Eric Gordan as well. I hope BD isn’t a bad influence on him not trying…
Posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 12:34 am
Baron sucks. 9 turnovers? God forbid his 1/3 ass mentality infect DJ, EJ, or BG.
Posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 12:41 am
Nicely written post!
In the NBA you win by properly allocating your cap space.
Yes, Baron played better this year, but we are still paying $13m/yr for a $7m guy.
I’d rather pay Blake $4m/yr to be a $4m guy.
I have a different reading of Baron than you guys though. I think his lackluster play is due to his body breaking down and his moodiness is a result of his own personal recognition of that.
Condensed BG Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Agree. Baron Davis is physically & mentally unfit to play 82 games in NBA.
What do you do when you pay someone huge amt.of money to do the job and he fails to carryout his obligations?
Chris McDougall Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:01 pm
You can him. Simple as that. I actually like Baron Davis, especially since I’m a UCLA alum, but I agree that he should be given less time–even take him out of the starting lineup–in order to “inspire” him to hustle more. And if he still doesn’t deliver then figure out a way to trade him.
Formerly Section 113 Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:31 pm
You’re dreaming…he doesn’t care, His priorities are elsewhere. Bad teammate, bad leader, bad guy……
Posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 7:05 am
There isn’t much of a choice here. Baron Davis is going to start and get most of the minutes because he’s the better player. When Baron’s on his game, all Steve Blake will get is backup minutes and he won’t get that many of them. When Baron’s either off his game, bored, or disintereste, the Clips can increase Blake’s minutes without fearing the consequences and even have the prospect of getting some outstanding play every once in a while. Blake’s not an outstanding player, but he can fill it up on occasion. The Clips have a lot of partial pieces like Baron Davis and Steve Blake. That’s why they’re an interesting team to follow despite being very mediocre.
Posted on March 3rd, 2010 at 11:36 am
Blazer fan here, just stopping by to check on Blake and Outlaw. Be good to them – I want the Blazers to resign them sometime in the near future, particularly Outlaw – and they’ll reward Clipper fans with some very consistent (Blake) and very exciting (Outlaw, hit ‘n’ miss) basketball.
Posted on March 9th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
BDiddy is awesome, and because of him UCLA is officially Point Guard University, check it out http://yallkiltit.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/ucla-point-guard-university/
Posted on March 11th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
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