EXPERT ANALYSIS

"The key word to describe to Baron Davis is explosive. Davis has great open court skills and is a fearless player, and more of a pure point guard than Steve Francis, Jason Terry or William Avery. Even after blowing out his knee in the 1998 NCAA Tournament against Michigan, Davis bounced back to show his tremendous leaping ability and brutish strength with the ball. He attacks the basket and is a good open court passer with an above-average handle. I believe that Davis ball skills are underrated, and have been somewhat devalued because of his wildness at times and his inability to harness his emotions. In college, Davis struggled with fouls and three point shooting. Because he did not show discipline on the defensive end, Davis found himself on the bench saddled with fouls. Davis hounded ballhandlers without regard for fouls, and paid the price for it in some important games. Davis is a guard that could be in the mold of a Jason Kidd. He is athletic and strong, but does not shoot the ball well from the perimeter, and is not at his best in a halfcourt setting. Davis plays best with the ball in his hands, and does not do well without dominating the ball. He has a good work ethic and can run all day. The questions: Can Davis shoot the ball from the perimeter? Can he do the simple things needed of a lead guard, or will he always be looking to accomplish the spectacular?" -- ESPN's Jay Bilas

College: UCLA
Height: 6-2 ½
Weight: 210 pounds
Position: Guard
Age: 20 (April 13, 1979)
Birthplace: Los Angeles, Calif.

Career highlights