2k6-2k7 REPORT CARD: Baron Davis

by Atma Brother ONE on Oct 21, 2007 5:45 PM PDT in Report Cards

What a difference a year makes. After last year's dismal campaign with Coach Mike Montgomery at the helm, Baron Davis fairly or unfairly took a lot of the blame. When it rains it pours.

This past season however when the Warriors became the darling of the sports world Boom Dizzle won the hearts of many not just those of the good people in the Bay. When it's sunny it's eye-blindingly bright.

Another ReDirkulous highlight!

You can always celebrate his Boomness over at the excellent Fear the Beard (some real good folks!) and even at his own new blog.

3 of the NBA's Most Wanted: Boom Dizzle, Snoop Dizzle, and J Rizzle.

Make the jump for another BOOMing GSoM Report Card!

Are you ready for this?!

BD's the captain of this ship.

One thing that will probably shock you is that compared to that nightmare 2005-2006 Warriors season, a few of Baron's regular season stats actually dipped (check out the numbers):

Baron was actually slightly less accurate from downtown (30.4% to 31.5%)
He averaged 0.8 less assists (8.1 to 8.9)
BD turned the ball over just a tad bit more (3.1 to 2.9)
He actually averaged less minutes per game (35:17 to 36:30)

Simply put, the numbers don't tell the whole story. I don't think there's anyone out there (except maybe Mavs fans) that would rather take the 2005-2006 BD over the 2006-2007 one. There's only one number that really matters. The number 1 for 1 big playoff upset.

Adam Lauridsen (Fast Break)

Grade: A
So much for Baron's reputation as an injury-faking, coach-killing cancer. The Warriors were the playoffs' best story and Baron was the Ws best player. After fighting back from his injury, three things changed. First, he trusted his teammates with the ball, growing into the role of a true PG. Second, he attacked the rim relentlessly. Third, he grew a damn fine beard.

Fun Score: 10
Or negative 10 if you're AK-47, who is still having nightmares.

Atma Brother #1

Grade: A
After his fantastic 2006-2007 season in which he silenced his many critics, I think it's safe to say that Baron Davis just doesn't respond well to poor coaches (Mike Montgomery) and teammates who don't show up half the time (Mike Dunleavy and Adonal Foyle) or don't even try on defense (Troy Murphy). Get rid of those variables and Boom Fizzle morphs into the incomparable, YouTube-izing, bearded Boom Dizzle. BD excels when matched with a coach who knows what he's doing and commands respect (Don Nelson) as well as players who knock down wide open jumpers (Jason Richardson, Al Harrington, and Mickael Pietrus), play tough defense and never quit (Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes), take some of the pressure off him as the primary PG (Monta Ellis, Jax, and Barnes), and actually catch dimes and finish wide open shots from 2 feet out (Andris Biedrins). When he's healthy (which isn't as often as we'd hope) and surrounded by the right cast, he's the most complete and craftiest point guard in the league hands down. His incredible handles, pretty passes, fearless drives to the hole, solid moves in the post, and big shots make all the highlights, but his shut down defense on the perimeter and work on the glass are what really separates him from other highly touted and overrated point guards in the Western Conference (ahem, Steve Nash and Tony Parker). I can live with Baron's annual 20 game absences as long as the Warriors can make the post-season and he's healthy for the playoff run.

Fun Score: 10
DO YOU BELIEVE NOW?! AK-47 sure does.

DJ Fuzzylogic

Grade: A
Baron Davis is the heart and soul of this team (sorry Atma, I know JRich was, too). Not only was he able to attract real celebrities to games (he had that much star power), but he was the dude with the killer instinct that could single handedly takeover games. His much improved play under Nelson was the Davis we have been missing and hope never goes away (no Mr. Hyde please of 2005-2006 season). The only reason I didn't give BD the actual A was because, once again, missed considerable playing time. Though, his dunk on AK alone should be reason why he deserves an A+

Fun Score: 8
Injuries are NOT fun.

Fantasy Junkie

Grade: A+
Forget what he did during the first 60 games of the regular season. He played great but nothing compared to what he did when he came back from injury. That was nothing short of amazing. He got the team rolling in the late season push to make the playoffs. In the Dallas playoff series, he was the best player in the NBA. Absolutely dominant. As a Warrior fan, I'll be remembering his performance for a long long time.

Fun Score: 100

Hash

Grade: A+
Baron Davis. You brought basketball back to the Bay Area. You lifted your team when they were down, and most importantly, you lifted the fans from Basketball Purgatory. You are a beast. And we thank you for it. - Warriors fans.

Fun Score:
I don't think they make a number high enough. You were a one man highlight reel this year.

YaoButtaMing

Grade: A-
There would have been NO "We Believe" without Baron. The man was on fire during the playoffs, and we could have beat the Jazz had we not lost our cool and energy. Baron deserves a parade after that season. A- only because of injury.

Fun Score: 9

Overall Grade: A

Also see Baron Davis' 2005-2006 GSoM Report Card

BD's so Athletic, A's fitted!

There's no disputing that BD was a great leader and teammate last season.

I think ya'll remember this hype-worthy dunk, but just in case you forgot...

Check it out on the NBA2k tip too!

[serbiaroxbasketball]

Check out these mixes of Boom Dizzle too:

[PFortyy]

[nes1us]

Do you want more?!?!! Check out GSoM YouTube Tuesdays!

BD had an unBELIEVEable season, but there's still one thing that leaves a bad taste in mouth. Boom was absolutely robbed of an All-Star appearance last year. This season let's all band together and vote it up when the All-Star fan ballots come out online. Let's see if we can get Dizzle into that starting lineup. It won't be easy with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams in the Wild, Wild, West, but need I remind you of what happens when We Believe?

HOLLA!

Do you honestly have any grade lower than an A for Boom's 2k6-2k7 season? Please keep me away from whatever you're smoking.

Some Boom Dizzle classics from this past season:

2006-2007 GSoM Report Cards

Chris Mullin & Rod Higgins (B+)
Don Nelson (A+)
Jason Richardson (B)
Mickael Pietrus (C)
Matt Barnes (A-)
Sarunas Jasikevicius (D+)
Zarko Cabarkapa (F+)
Troy Murphy (D+)
Mike Dunleavy Jr. (D-)
Josh Powell (C)
Adonal Foyle (D+)
Ike Diogu and Keith "Who?" Mcleod (Double D+)
Kelenna Azubuike (B-)
Patrick O’Bryant (F)
Monta Ellis (B+)
Al Harrington (B)
Andris Biedrins (A-)
Stephen Jackson (A-)

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Comments

Agree with all of the above but do have a question

for Atma about this:

I think it's safe to say that Baron Davis just doesn't respond well to poor coaches (Mike Montgomery) and teammates who don't show up half the time (Mike Dunleavy and Adonal Foyle) or don't even try on defense (Troy Murphy).

This is a primarily accurate statement although I wouldn't dump Byron Scott in with the atrocity that is NBA Monty. That summation I quoted, however, is exactly what I don't like about Davis.

Bare in mind that I love his game when he's right (physically and mentally). There is nobody at that position who has the size, strength, brains, quickness, "clutchiness", court vision, leadership, passing ability, post game, and on and on . . . . I think he has all of the tools, including BB IQ, to be better than Nash if he was healthy and had the same supporting cast.

But as a fan that suffered through the entire 12 years, watching and listening to most of the games, it's a big turnoff to have your highest paid player decide that he's just not up for trying for an entire season because he doesn't like the coach? Hell, nobody hated Monty and Dunleavy more than me and I still watched with doomed and pathetic hopefulness! Who's he going to play for when Nelson retires? Lenny Wilkins? Phil Jackson? Who else is on his short list of the "worthy enough to coach me"?

So my question is, does that bother you at all as a fan?

Regardless, he did respond to the absence of all of those factors (Mony/Dunn etc) that were removed and they are no longer factors to consider at the present time. For 06-07, he's an easy A. The skills I listed above that he put on frequent display last year as well as these two quotes from above sum up why:

Baron Davis. You brought basketball back to the Bay Area. You lifted your team when they were down, and most importantly, you lifted the fans from Basketball Purgatory. You are a beast. And we thank you for it.

There would have been NO "We Believe" without Baron.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Oct 21, 2007 11:03 PM PDT 0 recs

"Does that bother you at all as a fan?"

You make an excellent point that even though there might have been people who either weren't trying hard or weren't qualified on the Warriors two season ago, you as a fan still gave your 100% and you expect the superstar BD to do the same. It is indeed frustrating, but I guess that's just what happens with superstars (who we unfortunately haven't had in the Bay pre-Baron since CWebb/Spree). Superstar play, superstar ego, superstar attention, and superstar drama. I guess you just have to take the good with the bad.

BUT if you have a superstar coach and a respectable supporting cast the negatives disappear real fast.

by Atma Brother ONE on Oct 23, 2007 4:32 PM PDT up 0 recs

Time out in Barontown

Thanks for the great videos. That was such a great, crazy time. None of it would have happened without the boss. He was the force behind the mayhem, and the one thing Dallas couldn't contain whatsoever. When he is healthy, and has the will, he is one of the best players in the NBA. My favorite videos were Pfortyy's, because it hypes me up for this season every time I see it, and nes1us, because the song we got(jazz) by Tribe describes the way Baron plays, like a jazz song. Unpredictable, but always with a beat.

Can I kick it?