This piece is from Breene Murphy, Clipperblog’s newest contributor:
Baron Davis sat on the training table adjacent to the practice court, one knee pulled into his chest, watching draft prospects run through drills and scrimmages the first time I saw him up close, at the Clippers Training Facility. His beard shorn, he looked in shape, nowhere near the 260 pounds he’s recently been rumored to weigh. He pitted himself in the midst of a few other players, Mardy Collins and Craig Smith, with scouting coordinator Jason Piombetti. Baron didn’t smile much and his eyes very rarely left the court, watching the young players jostle and compete for their futures. I’m sure in some ways, Baron envied those players, the way that people would talk about their potential, the word still being used in a positive way.
Baron is not old. Steve Nash is five years older, Jason Kidd, six. Between the two of them, they have played either their best basketball in that time span (Nash) or they have led teams with a remodeled and intelligent game (Kidd). While there is not plenty of it, time still remains for Baron.
Even as recently as two years ago, it seemed that Baron’s career trajectory was ripe for his destined ascent. The transformation of the Golden State Warriors into a legitimate playoff team was next to impossible, but with the anarchic Don Nelson, Baron found his own order.
It’s been much documented, but the Warriors hadn’t made it to the playoffs prior to Baron’s arrival since the Run-TMC days. More years than not, they squandered opportunities, suffered injuries and lacked chemistry. In his first season and a half the team didn’t play even .500 ball, but Baron had the swagger to believe that the team could turn into a contender. He had the emotional capacity to let the good feelings override what the mind would have said was impossible. Nellieball took off again, with Baron, Captain Jack and Monta Ellis as the centerpieces of the team. They were a team that had the single-mindedness to ignore the naysayers and play antithetical basketball. Despite his normal bad habits like statistically poor three- point shooting, it appeared there were no limits on what he was allowed to do, what any of them were allowed to do on offense. They beat opponents with copious amounts of offense. Reminiscing about those games, a fan has to remember the smiles, the raucous crowds in Oakland, and the general “We Believe” sentiment.
Even though they missed the playoffs his last season in Golden State, making the Warriors relevant must have made him feel invincible. And that invincibility may have made Baron reevaluate his standing. Since he was, again, famous, he could focus on greatness. But the Warriors didn’t have the low-post presence, or the defensive focus to be truly great.
The Clippers, then, posed the greatest opportunity for him. Not only was he going to return home and be in the spotlight of Hollywood, he was going to have the opportunity to resurrect a Clipper team that was only two years removed from an impressive playoff run centered around his buddy Elton Brand. Brand provided the 20-10 big man that would, hypothetically, mesh perfectly with his brash, physical play. Even recovering from the injury, it would have been hard for him to not imagine running high screen and rolls with a 2006 vintage Brand. Cut from the top, go straight to the hole. Get double teamed, and deliver a no-look bounce pass for a Brand dunk. The defense cuts off their options, spot up 15 footers. And when the momentum was in their favor and the Clippers had the lead, Baron would use EB as a screen, then drill that heart-crushingly long three that he loves so much. The fans would adore him and the media would surround him, trying to capture his magnetism like solar panels capture the power of the sun. It would be his universe.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Even though Brand’s flight to Philadelphia now looks like a god send (can you imagine that contract, no Blake Griffin, and no cap space?), it adversely affected Baron’s emotional state. That same emotional override that allowed him to overcome so much in Golden State reversed effect in his first year in Los Angeles. He came into the season overweight, lethargic. He missed 20 percent of the year and when he did play, he played poorly. He looked jilted, heartbroken. I don’t think Dunleavy’s highly structured system did anything to help Baron. His invincibility was shattered. The Clippers only won 19 games. He did not turn into his hometown’s savior.
But luck changed when the Clippers drafted Blake Griffin. It’s impossible to look at Griffin’s highlights from Oklahoma and not see someone special. Combined with the lackluster year that Elton Brand had, and the potential that Blake continued to show in Summer League and preseason, it stirred Baron to get in fantastic shape last season. He would do this, he could still run a team, run that pick and roll. Even with Dunleavy’s system, ample opportunity existed for enormous improvement. He may have had to tether his potential to Blake, but being a rookie, Blake wouldn’t hamper his legacy. Hell, they would be a dynamic pair: the wily vet showing the young gun the ropes, running those same pick and rolls that Baron probably first imagined with Elton, but better. They would be more athletic, have more flash, more swagger.
But then for the second time in 18 months, the Clippers suffered a huge loss at power forward. Now it was Blake Griffin blowing out his knee cap in the last game of the pre-season with the impact unfolding in such a slow, agonizing way (the misdiagnosis, the bi-weekly crushing injury reports, the seemingly inevitable/ cursed season ending injury).
For those of you that are Clippers fans reading this, I’m sorry if I’m bringing up old wounds. I truly am. I don’t mean for us to relive these moments, but I think it gives context for that day that Baron sat on the training table and watched the prospects scrimmage. Also, I am hopeful.
While he was sitting on that training table, I believe I saw a man that was worn from losing, but contemplative. Thoughtful. Which is the break that he needs to get away from this careening career arc, fraught with negative emotion. One of the perils of athletics is that it becomes such a concentrated part of a player’s life that there are times when it’s hard to differentiate between professional accomplishment and personal worth. I don’t think it’s too hard to see that it happens on both sides, the player and the fans. Every All-Star game, every All-NBA team, every MVP, every playoff appearance, every series win, every championship is a validation.
Baron must understand that he will not have the career that he set out to have, that he had the potential to have. I’m sure he imagined that by the time he was 31-years old, he would have more than two All-Star appearances and one Third Team All-NBA award, as well as more championships and playoff appearances. Maybe it’s Steve Lavin’s underachieving sheen that rubbed off on him in his lone year at UCLA. However, I think now he’s smart enough to know that he can re-invent himself.
Why?
The Clippers again have the feel of a team about to turn it around. Kaman’s coming off an All-Star season, Blake Griffin is healthy, Eric Gordon is stealing the show from everyone on Team USA not named Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan is one more year improved, Aminu/Bledsoe/Warren represent a bumper crop of Clipper talent, and the coaching staff, Del Negro and Iavaroni, stylistically match Baron and the team.
Baron knows this. These positives must be re-energizing him. But what makes me most hopeful is his trip to Africa, an experience he felt so strongly about that he noted it earlier this Summer in a letter to all free agents. What I hope he gets, and he has professed to understand, is the perspective of it all. I’m sure in his travels through extreme poverty, he was able to see kids laughing amongst the bleakness of their life and people treating each other with the kindness and sincerity that should be merited to anyone, regardless of accomplishment. I hope that Baron comes to realize that the fictive career he hasn’t had shouldn’t be the barometer of how he will act and work. That was apparent in his letter to the free agents. And that headiness is what the team will need from its steward, both in age and position.
51 Responses
I enjoyed reading this article, and am crossing my fingers that the bearded one and the Clips will have a great year. However, I know a bunch of people will read this and simply dismiss the whole thing with comments like “Baron is a bum.”
A season full of pick and roll with Griffin may be the best thing for Baron’s Clipper career to date.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
This is the typical PR spin that comes out before every season about Davis. All of the blame Davis’s emotional makeup, and all of them talk about how this year he’s going to be different. None of of these PR spins ever matches reality.
Here are four hard realities of Davis.
1. Golden State dumped him. They wanted to get rid of him, because they knew what he really was like. Don Nelson benched Davis for Davis’s entire last game there, because of what he really was like. He couldn’t stand Davis. Golden State could have kept him for themselves instead of letting him go to the Clippers. All they had to do was match the Clippers offer. No way. They wanted no part of him, and they made no effort to keep him.
2. In the two seasons he’s played here, he’s been the worst point guard in the league in all shooting catagories. He’s also been the worst defending point guard in the league, because opposing point guard *consistently* have some of their best games of the season playing against him.
3. He’s toxic, and has been all of his career. That’s why teams are always dumping him.
4. The Clippers are locked into three more years of him for $42 million. That contract probably makes him untradeable, so the Clippers go the PR route of trying to make people think he’s finally going to be good this year. Big mistake.
Gordon for President Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
For someone so against Baron, you’d think you have the facts straight. GSW had no right to match Baron’s offer, he opted out of his contract and became an unrestricted Free Agent. Chris Mullin tried desperately to keep Baron, but was not allowed by Cohan, Rowell, and Nelson to offer a deal longer than three years. Mullin was BD’s biggest supporter, then shown the door. Look what the Warriors have had to show for themselves since.
Clipper Derrick Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
I was going to write exactly what you wrote. “Dump Davis” needs to get his facts straight.
dump u Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
it is kinda funny you complain about “typical PR spin” right before letting loose a post’s worth of “typical disgruntled fan spin.”
most of what you say is wrong. davis isn’t a great defender but that is pretty standard for NBA guards. his def rating last year was far from the worst for a guard or point guard. you’re completely wrong about the particulars of the golden state situation.
the only stuff that isn’t completely wrong is just meaningless. “toxic”? what does that even mean? that is just something disgruntled fans or reporters without anything else to say throw out there to inject cheap morality into the discussion or to scapegoat one player for failure of the organization – “oh, we would have done better last year, but that intimidating guy with braids and tattoos…ummm….he was toxic!”
AfishLClipp Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
yeah, you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about dump davis, get it together
ClipperBB Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Dump Davis, I think it’s time for you to dump the “Hateraid”. Give it a rest already. Your hate for Baron is getting old.
jcdigital Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 12:02 am
so many things wrong with dump baron’s post…its sad to see such blind hatred…
ClipperBB Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Yeah. I totally agree with you jcdigital. A post that has that much hatred for Baron makes me think it’s personal or something. Baron must have screwed DumpDavis’ Mom or something.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Don Nelson was a moron. He benched him that game and lost. the game before he had 32 points. Your talking about the guy who plays Corey Maggette at the Power Forward position.
fyi.. during Baron’s negotiation with Golden State, they said they couldn’t pay more than $40 million. But Baron being the likeable guy he is, is friends with Gilbert Arenas who told him that Golden State had offered him a $90 million dollar deal. Within a couple of days, Baron Davis received a recruiting call from Elton Brand who than called Mike Dunleavy (who was about to sign Beno Udrih in NY). Dunleavy signed him to a contract and Golden State was not to happy after they lost the guy who beat out 1st seed Dallas. As a revenge move, they signed Corey Maggette… that worked out well.
Baron had a good season this past year.
This was a well written creative & post.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I can’t tell you how many times last year I thought the Clips had opportunities to win games but Davis came out moping. He is very, very talented but doesn’t have the strength of character to become the consistent leader that the team needs.
Consistent play at the point is critical to any successful team. Teams know this and that is why we are going to have to keep Baron for at least 2 more years. He’ll be traded away in Year 3 as an expiring contract.
One thing that is a positive is that Randy Foye is a fairly consistent player. Not nearly as talented as BD but I think his game will translate well with the rest of the crew.
Because Sterling is such a fruitcake he doesn’t understand what mental toughness is about. That’s why he traded for BD in the firstplace, and GOOD teams such as the Lakers and Celtics never would.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
BTW, Mardy Collins is still on the team?
Andrew Leon Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
no.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Oakland, man. The Warriors play in Oakland. Those raucous crowds were in Oakland….Oakland. That said, Baron was amazing for us for a season or two. Loved him. Couldn’t believe we let him go, then signed a selfish, pointless player like Maggette. Thought Baron would do more for your squad. Maybe with a bit more freedom to run things his way he will. But if he doesn’t like how things are going, he doesn’t seem to be able to soldier through it and play the type of ball his coach wants. Seems stupid to sign a guy who plays great one way, and terribly another, and then coach a style that doesn’t work for him…but hey, you are the Clippers.
akram47 Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
You live in Oakland you chauncey. Thats your first problem. Keep your obtuse generalized theory in oakland.
Ps how’s Ekpe Udoh doing? He was killing it in Summer League!
oh wait…. he didn’t.
Jamarcus Russell anyone?
Warrior Fan Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:42 am
In what way is my “theory” obtuse or generalized? Are you upset because I ended with “hey, you are the Clippers?” I clearly identified myself as a Warriors fan. Our teams have been the laughing stock of the Western Conference for years now, with only a moment of playoff sunshine in the past decade or so. Up until this year we both had the worst ownership in the league (now that is just you). Do I say things like how was Blake Griffin’s rookie year? Or make archaic references to the Danny Manning for Dominiquie Wilkins trade? No, I just said that Baron always excelled in a free flowing system, which Mike Dumb-leavy didn’t ever use. I watched Baron play great basketball for a couple years. You’ve watched him play terrible basketball for a couple years (not counting injuries).
To respond to the Ekpe Udoh thing…of course he is hurt. He is a Warrior. We are always hurt. I’m sure they only drafted him because he seemed most likely to get hurt.
As for Fat-marcus Russell, I’m a 49er fan, but that is big talk for someone without a professional football team in their city…or wait, do you guys have some exciting UFL action coming soon?
Chaderack Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 11:58 am
We don’t need the NFL here, we got USC football.
Warrior Fan Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 9:14 am
Who up until this year probably could have beaten the Raiders anyway.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
uncoachable by B. Scott……He is OVERRATED…period… He had a good run in one playoff series…bfd!!!!Doenst make anyone around him better…maybe even worse…. He is below avg. even when he is trying….The fact that you even have to worry about his weight is all you need to know about Baron….
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
The Warriors have a great showing in one playoff in recent memory and all of a sudden every Warrior fan bestows it upon themselves to rip on the Clippers. Really? On what successful legs do you stand on? It’s one thing for us to get ripped by Laker fans, we get it .. but a Warriors fan? You NorCal cats are usually smarter than this.
yaggiefresh Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Err, that was for the Warriors fan above.
Warrior Fan Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:44 am
How did I rip on you? I just said it was dumb to bring in a free flowing point guard, then try to make him play in a buttoned-down system. Baron will never be a play-calling, offense running point guard. He’ll always take bad shots and miss a lot of them. But if you let him create on the fly, push the tempo, and dictate the flow of the game, then sometimes you get greatness from him.
Nuclips Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Ditto!
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Breene,
I met you at the Draft Party at City Walk. We were talking when the Clippers made the trade for Bledsoe. Anyways, great article! You illustrated a balanced view of what’s going on with Baron and the situation with the Clips. Thanks!
Breene Murphy Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Yaggiefresh,
Thanks! I remember that, we were watching the end of the draft on the big screen when they announced the Eric Bledsoe trade. I’m now going to be writing for this site instead of clippers.com.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
warriors play in Oakland.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Baron has talent, that’s not what holds him back, it’s his mental approach to the game. I’ve been both supportive and critical of Baron, and it is frustrating, Don’t think he’s overrated, 2 all-star games and once 3rd team alhow good is that. Baron’s just one of those kind of guys who likes to do what he doesn’t do well—–like shoot jump shots and take too many 3 pt shots. Hopefully he “meshes” with VDN, takes pride in helping to develop the young guys, and gets his mental approach right this year. If he’s in the right frame of mind, Baron still has the ability to lead this team to a great year. Now, will he be right? IDK, roll the dice again—–he’s not going anywhere, he’s untradeable.
Sportsed Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
I meant 3rd team all-NBA, how good is that?
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
A total pipe dream. a dog is a dog. and Baron’s a mutt.
Raining Buckets Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Aren’t mutts more resilient and less susceptible to disease? Although I’ll agree that Barons’ been dogging it in LA most of the time.
I’m not going to defend Baron here. His shot selection is reprehensible, his defense atrocious, and his work ethic questionable. However, I think he’s the kind of temperamental fellow that might just need the right environment and inspiration to bring out his best. Hell, if Zach Randolph was able to reinvent himself in Memphis, then surely Baron has a chance to do some good for the Clippers this season.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
The Warriors play in Oakland, not San Francisco. Oakland, Oakland, Oakland, Oakland. Sorry to harp on this, but it’s a pet peeve of mine when people either forget that the Warriors play in the East Bay or just conflate the two cities. Otherwise, this is a very interesting post.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Baron mailed it in his entire first season here, like a dog… His second season, he started well… Then when it was learned Griffin wasn’t coming back, he quit again. Then something strange happened. Steve Blake was brought in and started his first two games here with Baron sitting out. Seeing Blake’s hustle, when Baron came back, it was clear he was playing noticably harder for fear of being embarrassed. You could see the difference in Baron’s effort level from the moment Blake arrived.
Pretty sad, actually, to have a player who has to be motivated by fear of embarrassment, but that’s Baron… He has no self-motivation or drive of his own… That’s why he gains weight in the off season. That’s why after ten years in the league he hasn’t improved his outside shot one bit. That’s why he’s a dog and will always be my least favorite player… Until we trade him.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
All you Oakland heads — just fixed that. Thanks for the catch.
Posted on September 7th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
I love Baron as a distributor. I think hes definitely one of the top playmakers in the league when he’s in that frame of mind. When Baron decides to really run the team, he’s very good at it. Those are the times I have little quivers of hope.
Then there’s Baron the serial chucker. I really cannot stand that Baron. His common sense and brain get turned off. In some respects I can see and appreciate the fact that he’s thinking big and has the confidence to take the shot, but not multiple times every game. It’s almost like he’s chasing the memory of that epic GS/Dallas playoff series and hoping that this trademarked long range shot somehow swishes his name into the Hall of Fame.
Im hoping age tempers Baron a little bit. He is entering that time of his life that he’s either got to turn a corner mentally and mature into stable veteran or become the next T-Mac at the end of his contract.
The pieces are here. Baron’s just go to put them together on the floor and facilitate instead of dominate.
SilverClip Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Yeah, this is about right. Baron can be a very effective and frequently clever distributor. He’s also very good at breaking down the defense and finding shots closer to the basket. Several times now, Lawler has wondered aloud why Baron doesn’t do that all the time. BD has the ability to work the ball in and either shoot effectively or find the open man. I’m medium optimistic that with age he’ll focus more on these sorts of strengths, harness more patience, and stop trying so regularly to be a hero.
Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 12:09 am
Bringing up Steve Lavin and his “underachieving sheen.” Low blow to Steve. It’s not his fault he looks so smooth.
Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 12:20 am
I’ve said it a hundred times before and I’m going to say it again, hoping that this time it will get through your thick skulls…
BARON DAVIS IS NOT THE PROBLEM, HE IS THE SOLUTION
MannyA Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 7:04 am
I kinda agree. I don’t know how many times last season I saw Gordon and Kaman fumble a good pass from Baron leading to a turnover? How many assist did Baron lose on missed shots under the basket by Kaman or on missed layups by the rest of the team?How about Gordon dribbling the ball of his foot atleast once every game. How many offnights did our only 3pt shooter(Butler) other than Gordon have? A LOT!!!
I don’t understand why all the blame is directed at Baron. Yes he has his faults, pretty serious ones, but he was not the reason the Clippers sucked last year.
NRM Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:27 am
This is very accurate. There were games were Baron was a beast but everyone else wasnt in to it. Particular examples were @ Indiana, @ Cleveland (I think he outscored Lebron that game), @ Memphis (the one were the water pipe broke), @ Lakers (Lakers home game where he told D. Fish and Pau “dont fu*k with me boy!”)
Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 12:36 am
“Maybe it’s Steve Lavin’s underachieving sheen that rubbed off on him in his lone year at UCLA”
-Baron was at UCLA for 2 years
Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Breene, you got all that from just watching Baron sitting on a table? No offense as your thoughts are mostly well written, but that’s a bit of projecting on your part don’t you think? Perhaps talking to him would have given you more of a sense of his “re-invention”?
On a lighter note, glad to know Baron isn’t 260. I was afraid we were going to have our own version of Boris Diaw and Boris Diaw’s fat stomach in those too-tight new uniforms running around Staples.
Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Good writer! Thanks for the thoughtful, intelligent, piece. Look forward to more -
Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
It always amazes me the misconceptions around Baron Davis’ career. He was the best player on a playoff team in 7 of his first 9 seasons. He has had continual, nagging injury problems that put him out of favor with coaches. He a poor outside shooter and has poor shot selection. He is a good leader and his teams rally around him. He is emotional, and loses interest in the game when his teams are losing. Statistically, he has been a top 5 pg for most of his career when healthy.
These are all facts about baron, some good, some bad but for better or worse he is our star player and we will only go as far as he takes us. He is not getting traded. I get it, a lot of Clipper fans are full of hatred, thats why they root for the clippers, because it gives them an excuse to unload vitriol on the world. But for the rest of us, we have to root for baron, to be in shape, to be involved and to bring an experience to us like he did for the warriors that year.
VH1 Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Oh, and welcome Breene and thanks for the article!
MannyA Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Nice post VH1!
J-Luggy Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Rightfully or not, when you accept the kind of money that Baron did, you are expected to be the one that leads a team to success. Like you said, Davis isn’t going anywhere and they didn’t get a superstar in FA, which means his improvement (along with Blake Griffin) is the most likely way the Clips will improve. And we know he can improve. I do agree that he receives a disproportionate amount of criticism, but again more money, more responsibility.
And Kaman isn’t the same deal because A) he’s underrated by most casual fans and B) you could actually get a lot of teams that would want him. I don’t think the same could be said about Baron (regarding B).
Chris McD Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 7:26 am
And that pretty much sums up my own thoughts.
Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Welcome to Clippernacion Breene!
I’ll stay optimistic about this season and about baron just because i dont have a choice. Im putting all my marbles on Griffin, Gordon and kaman to take us to the promised land (playoffs.) hopefully melo joins us on the way there.
I believe that griffin is the antidote that we’re looking for. His work ethics are off the chart. I hope its contagious and gets the team in sync. we’ll see.
Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
“One of the perils of athletics is that it becomes such a concentrated part of a player’s life that there are times when it’s hard to differentiate between professional accomplishment and personal worth.”
This is a great line. And I think it applies to proffessions outside of athletics. At least I know I feel that way sometimes.
Posted on September 9th, 2010 at 7:56 am
“One of the perils of athletics is that it becomes such a concentrated part of a player’s life that there are times when it’s hard to differentiate between professional accomplishment and personal worth.”
This is a great line. And I think it applies to proffessions outside of athletics. At least I know I feel that way sometimes.
Posted on September 9th, 2010 at 7:56 am
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