Basketball & NBA 10 May 2007 08:19 pm
The Beast from the Bay Area
The most impressive player I’ve seen in this postseason so far has definitely been Baron Davis of the Golden State Warriors. His dominant play had begun to show even in the regular season because nobody expected the Warriors to even make the Playoffs. But, despite everyone’s expectations, it was Davis’ play down the stretch of the regular season that made it clear to everyone that the guys from the Bay Area was serious about their game.
Davis has had one of the best statistical stretches of his career in the the first two rounds of the Playoffs, averaging 26.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.0 APG, and 2.0 SPG. The UCLA product has truly shown that he is still one of the top point guards (and players for that matter) in the league. But, it is not Baron’s amazing stats that have surprised me. It is his unique combination of strength and 
skill. He stands at a solid 6-3 and weighs an incredible 215 pounds (a huge number for a point guard). But, even with his unique physique, Davis still has one of the most fundamentally sound games in the NBA. He has beautiful form on his jump shot, which he can shoot from almost anywhere on the floor, and has that uncanny ability to get into the paint and draw fouls. He is lethal in the open floor because of his speed and can absolutely destroy you in a half-court set because he can just keep on pounding and pounding the opposing PG with his brute force.
Even though Davis’ physical appearance and basketball skill is impressive, it is his play under pressure that really sets him apart from everyone else. He led his team to beat the 67-win Mavericks, favored by many to win the title, and has continued his play in the Warriors’ second round series against the Jazz. In clutch situations, Davis steps up his game even more and refuses to give in. The other team may have a comfortable 15-point lead (like Dallas in Game 5), but it does not feel comfortable at all with Davis slowly hitting shot after shot and chipping away at the margin. The Mavs’ guards could not get anything going offensively against Davis either because of his extremely physical play one-on-one and quick rotations in Golden State’s team defense.
Were it not for injury (which forced Davis to miss significant time in each of his seven seasons in the league), Baron Davis would probably be known as the best all-around point guard in the NBA. His unique mix of brawn and brains has gotten the Warriors winning again and has definitely impressed me the most in these NBA Playoffs so far.
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