When the Clippers really needed Davis last season, he laid an egg. He's certainly not the athlete he was in his younger days and that 40 percent mark he'd shot from three-point range over a two-year span before joining Los Angeles took a major dive for a club that could've used his scoring ability to stretch a defense. Still, as was the case with the majority of the team, he was hampered by injuries and it would reason he still has the talent to score off the bench, or at least the Clippers think so as they declined to waive Davis in August when they had their chance.
Davis will be joining his sixth different franchise after signing a two-year deal with the Clippers during the offseason. He’s a major liability on the defensive end of the floor but can be counted on to contribute in points, steals and three-pointers. He’s also a solid free-throw shooter. His role in Los Angeles has yet to be determined, as he’ll be battling rookie Eric Gordon and Cuttino Mobley for the starting shooting guard spot, but Davis could also see minutes backing up Al Thornton at small forward. Either way, Davis figures to see a decent amount of minutes, so his regular production should follow.
Davis looks like a high risk/high reward pick this season. In theory, he should be an excellent prospect under the "someone has to score points for the T-Wolves" theory; he's easily the most proven scorer on Minnesota's current roster, and could have a 25/5/5 season as their primary scoring option. But "on Minnesota's current roster" is an important caveat. With the trade of Kevin Garnett, the Timberwolves are clearly in rebuilding mode. The long-term interests of the team are almost certainly better served by building the offense around youngsters like Al Jefferson, Rashad McCants, Gerald Green and Corey Brewer. Keep a close eye on training camp news. If it appears that Davis will start, or be traded to a team in need of a scoring wing, bump him up a couple of spots. If it seems he'll serve as the primary scorer with Minnesota’s second unit, he's still worth selecting, but maybe with a lower pick.
Davis moved back into the starting line-up from his previous sixth-man role last year and responded with a near 20/5/5 season first with the Celtics and later the Timberwolves. Davis has consistently produced similar numbers when given starter’s minutes over the past four years, but questions as to whether his production actually helped his team win have kept him shuffling between the bench and the starting line-up. At 6-6 with dramatic leaping ability and an offensive mentality, Davis can score in bunches while also distributing the ball well enough at times to run the offense. The problem is that Davis is streaky, does not deal well with pressure defense (2.7 TOs per game), and is not as effective if the ball is not in his hands on most possessions. With Kevin Garnett as the Wolves focal point and new additions Mike James and Randy Foye also likely to handle the ball a lot, Davis may see a decline in scoring and assists this season.
Davis, in the right situation, could be an elite fantasy guard. He showed that in Cleveland, where he once averaged almost 21 points, 5.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals for a season. While his current sixth man role for the Celtics prevents him from those kinds of dominant numbers, he has found a productive niche at least. The 6-6 Davis is an outstanding athlete with a knack for taking the ball to the rim and a scorer’s mentality, which allowed him to average 16 points a game with solid contributions to both shooting percentages (46.2% on 12.7 shots from the field, 81.5% on 4.3 attempts from the line) last season. His peripheral numbers all decreased, but 3.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals per are still decent considering his role. He also has the advantage of being a lottery ticket player, as an injury to Paul Pierce would boost Davis into a position where he could once again put up big numbers. There is a bit of a youth movement going on in Boston, with three first round picks in the past two years going to shooting guards. This could decrease Davis’ role a bit this season, but his proven fantasy potential keeps him on the radar.
Davis is the forgotten man in Boston, as the talk about a possible Paul Pierce-Gary Payton tandem has been front and center. However, Davis isn’t a player you should write off for this season just yet. Just two seasons ago, Davis was quite a fantasy player in Cleveland, averaging 20.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. If he can shed some of his selfish tendencies, Davis could very well play his way back into the starting lineup at some point. Then again, if he doesn't - and few players ever do - he could soon be following the Isaiah Rider career path.
Davis is a scorer who relishes being the focus of a team’s offense. He played various positions last season, primarily on the perimeter, averaging 20.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. The assists may drop this season, but similar numbers are expected: 20 points, 2-3 assists, 4-5 rebounds. Davis also had 1.58 steals, 21st in the league. He qualifies at forward and guard.
