NBA Trades: Was Moving Baron Davis Good for Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers?

I'm sure most of you are already tired of hearing about the trade deadlines and whether or not teams got the better end of the deal, but the Clippers giving up starting guard, Baron Davis, was one of the bolder moves in these last few weeks. 

The fact that Davis' level of play has been much more than exceptional adds on to the question mark as to why the Clippers decided to let him go right now. But it happened, so what does this mean for the Clippers and rising star, Blake Griffin, who has grown accustomed to playing alongside the veteran guard?

This may come as a surprise, but this move will help the Clippers in the long run. Davis has no doubt been playing at a high level in recent games and there is no arguing his positive impact on young Griffin, but who knows how long Davis' motivation would have lasted?

When you exchange Davis for a more than solid guard in Mo Williams (who is much younger), one really has to weigh the options.

The Clippers made the right decision trading for Williams, and though the chemistry might not come as soon as Clippers fans want, the prize will be worth the wait.

Statistics This Season

Mo Williams: 13.3 (PPG), 2.7 (RPG), 7.1 (APG).

Baron Davis: 12.8 (PPG), 2.8 (RPG), 7.0 (APG).

As you can see, in stats comparison, the two are virtually interchangeable, but if you have to give the advantage to one player, the experience and leadership gives Davis the upper hand. However, we aren't taking into account the personalities of these two players, which is essential when comparing a player to someone like Davis.  

Personalities

Mo Williams: Considered to now be a veteran in the league, Williams can perform at a very high level and has shown signs of being a capable leader when things are going well for his team. He is a good match with the Clippers because his personality type does not require hogging the ball or trying to be a leader because someone named Blake Griffin is there, something Davis has had problems with throughout the season. 

Baron Davis: If you want to talk about a capable leader, Davis has to be among the top. At his prime, Davis was among the best guards in the league. Even today, if he had the desire and will to become the best guard in the league, his skills and talents are still there. However, Davis' personality mixed in with his situation with a somewhat bad team in the Clippers, has caused a natural problem of not caring and also of who's going to control the ball, which has led to bad team chemistry. 

Conclusion

Davis has shown his leadership and his short-term desire to improve this young and upcoming team is relevant, but considering Davis' past as a coach killer and not a great teammate has led to his departure. If Davis had a different personality, the Clippers wouldn't have had to ship him away for a carbon copy. Sadly Davis' tenure with the Clippers is now over, and his career might as well be over too because whatever is left in Davis' tank isn't going to last too long in Cleveland. 

The Clippers have made the right decision, and as long as Williams sticks to his role of being the second option, Griffin and the Clippers will be satisfied with the interesting and bold move before the 2011 NBA trade deadline.