Baron Davis can't shoot straight

There are a lot of reasons why the Clippers are a woeful 8-23 and the team is already looking ahead to its summer rite of a lottery pick. Injuries are one reason -- newcomers Baron Davis and Marcus Camby basically missed training camp, Chris Kaman has been sidelined for weeks because of an injured foot, and scorer Zach Randolph, acquired in a November trade, has missed a few games with a knee problem.

Then there's the problem of Davis, who clearly can't shoot straight.

The team's big free-agent signing has been a dismal shooter all season. Granted, Davis, a two-time All Star, is not a great shooter. Now in his 10th NBA campaign, he can generously be called a streak shooter, with a paltry career field goal percentage of 41.1%; he's endured three previous seasons in which he shot less than 40% for the full year.

But even by Davis' erratic standards, the Clippers point guard is shooting a career-worst 36% from the field this season, and for someone who loves to launch three-pointers, he's an embarrassing 29.1% from that distance. Davis also has a sad steak going: In the 30 contests he's played for the Clippers, his field goal percentage hasn't topped 50% in a single game.

Davis considers himself and All-Star-quality player, but the NBA's Western Conference is loaded with glittering point guards and Davis' shooting stats are an embarrassment compared with those of other top-notch PGs this season. Take a look:

Player              Field Goal percentage      3-point percentage

Baron Davis            36.0%                          29.1%

Steve Nash             48.2%                          42.6%

Jason Kidd              42.2%                          38.4%

Chris Paul               49.5%                          36.4%

Tony Parker            50.3%                          36.8%

Chauncey Billups      41.9%                          40.8%

Deron Williams        43.6%                          31.8%.

-- Barry Stavro

Photo: Baron Davis, left, looks for passing room against Sacramento Kings defender Mikki Moore during their game in Sacramento on Tuesday. Credit: Steve Yeater / Associated Press

Comments

[PaTtY-oH!]

well its not all baron's fault! how about getting a new owner that is willing to open his pocket for some great calibur players that can at least get them into playoffs or at least 50 or better wins!!! No offense but the roster they have is somewhat of a joke like a high school team. Im just upset that the Clipppers always get someone's crappy left overs.

[Big Paulie the Coach]

Since Davis is shooting so poorly, he needs to look for a usually wide-open Eric Gordon more often. It reminds me of a few years ago when nobody would pass to Eric Piatkowksi. Clips need to move the ball more on offense and stop the one-on-one nonsense. They usually wait until the shot clock ticks down to single digits before they get an idea about doing something and then it's some silly "post-up" to a player 20 feet from the basket. Reminds me of grade school kids on offense, when all the kids yell for the ball. It's really pathetic, While other teams move the ball around the perimeter and play pick and roll, the Clips take turns doing their one-on-one thing. Oh, and forget about crashing the boards. The only one who does that is Camby, as if the others are allergic to glass. And on defense, how many times have you seen an opposing player take a wide-open shot without a Clipper within 10 feet? Too many tines. And do the Clips ever get wide open shots. No. Why? Because they all stand around watching the designated ball hog for the given set. Gordon moves without the ball. But that's about it. Twice in the Philly game, a Clipper p lay stepped out of bounds while dribbling on the baseline below their own basket. How can this happen? Injuries or not, I have to lay blame on the coach for this lack of organization, discipline, hustle, etc. He's a book-smart guy but maybe he's not the one to inspire leadership and ownership out of this team.