Baron Davis can’t shoot straight

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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