Sports Views

I came across an editorial on CNNSI.com on, among other things, the play of Baron Davis and how he's helped turn the perpetually bad Warriors around and get them off to their best start in the franchise's history.

Walt "Clyde" Frazier just mentioned before the Knicks-Warriors telecast (ok, not "just" because I'm watching it delayed, but whatever) that Baron Davis is 6'3". Please! I know he's officially listed at that height, but if Teen Wolf has two inches on Derek Fisher and an inch on Stephon Marbury, then I'm listing myself at 5'11" from now on.

By the end of February, Jason finally got some much-needed help. By acquiring Baron Davis, J-Rich finally had the opportunity to get some open looks. Teams had begun to double team and hound the Warriors’ shooting guard, and Davis was a perfect fit. When the Warriors went 18-10 with Davis, Richardson was just as important to the streak. The end of the year signalled a big jump for Richardson, who averaged career highs in points (21.7) and field goal percentage (44.6%). Jason scored 10 points in 70 of 73 games, scored 30 points 10 times, and led the Warriors in points in over 50% of the games he played (37 of 73).

The game was a pretty good one, with Joel and I and the Magic taking on Jesse and Casey and the New Orleans Hornets. Joel struggled in this game, as the only shots he could hit were 3-pointers, and his game is usually best when he’s getting to the rim. McGrady played hard, but seemed to always miss important shots. Casey was unstoppable, shooting something like 77% from the field and hitting all of his threes, and i had my hands full trying to keep Baron Davis from scoring off the dribble. Even with all of that, we had the ball and a chance to tie after i came up with a steal on an inbounds pass with less than 10 seconds left (an obvious sign that you’re playing a video game). But my plan for tying the game was not a good one; i put the ball in my own hands and tried to hit a jump shot, which i should have known was a poor decision. Since i bought this game, i haven’t been able to hit any shots that aren’t layups with myself, leading to several similar situations like this, and yet i still seem to go to myself with the game on the line. You’d think i’d learn.

Of course, Baron Davis put up 24 points, added 13 assists, stole the ball thrice, and also reportedly saved the world twice all in the span of 32 minutes on the floor. Just make sure he’s healthy going into training camp next fall, and there’s no reason why the Warriors can’t play playoff caliber basketball.

But the win over the Lakers represents something special. Over the past two years, the Warriors have played the perennial west powerhouse in the final game or second to last game of the year, and always managed to fall a couple baskets short. But despite it being a bad loss for the Lakers and a terrific win for the Warriors, it almost seems like a changing of the guard. The Lakers have been the benchmark for every NBA team, doing what isn’t easy in the era of the salary cap. But the Warriors have always been the underdog, even at home when...

Baron Davis had 24 points and 13 assists and Golden State sent Los Angeles to its fifth straight defeat with one of the Warriors' biggest victories over the Lakers, 126-99 on Monday night.

A season high attendance of 20,043 also caught Baron Davis nearly put up his fifth career triple-double. Despite another below average shooting night, Davis was only one rebound – or ten steals short. Baron ended the night with 15 points on 6/19 shooting (0/8 from downtown), 15 assists, and 9 rebounds. He almost pulled off the feat nearly three months after doing it for the Hornets against Sacramento, when he totaled 26 points, 17 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Now don’t get me wrong – winning is good. It’s tough to say “just lose so we can hopefully end up with a fantastic pick in the draft.” And come on already, Baron Davis is already acquainted with Jason Richardson’s play. Example A: Baron Davis is leading a three on two break with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter from the left. The Knicks defense gets passive, Richardson goes to the hoop from the right side, but Davis already mailed a perfectly thrown ball just waiting for Jason to slam down. So...