NBA Free Agents 2011: Is Baron Davis the Point Guard the New York Knicks Need?

I've been saying for last two weeks that if the New York Knicks want to win an NBA championship they have to sign a veteran point guard.  It seems that the Knicks are planning on doing just that.

The newest NBA rumor circulating around the Internet is that the Knicks are close to signing recent amnesty clause victim Baron Davis to a one-year, $2.5 million deal.  Baron Davis spent the 2010-11 season with both the Clippers and the Cavaliers, playing in only 58 total games.

Baron Davis has had quite the career, playing for four different teams and earning career averages of 16.5 points and 7.3 assists per game.  Davis never really took his career to the elite level that other players did, earning himself only two All-Star appearances (2002, 2004) and one All-NBA third team honor (2004).

The 32-year-old point guard has quite an amazing opportunity to revitalize his career and re-establish his legacy by signing with the New York Knicks.  

The Knicks are undoubtedly the best team in the past seven or eight years that Davis has had the chance to play for, giving him an ideal opportunity to win his first NBA championship.  

The New York Knicks are hoping that Baron Davis can become the point guard their much hyped roster needs, a point guard that facilitates first, shoots when needed and ultimately acts as a floor general and leader.

I think in time, Baron Davis can be that kind of player for the New York Knicks, but he won't be that kind of player immediately and the Knicks need to know what they are getting themselves into.

The Knicks need to realize that by signing Baron Davis, they are signing a player with a shoot first and pass second mentality.  Sure Baron Davis passed the 5,000 assist mark for his career last year with the Clippers, but nothing can change the fact that he loves to shoot the ball.  

Baron Davis, in his 12 year career, has jacked up a total of 11,767 shots which is almost a thousand more than former Knicks point guard Chauncey Billups who's been in the league for one more year than Davis.

Another alarming stat for Knicks fan to be aware of is that of those 11,767 shots Baron Davis has thrown up, he has only made 4,820 of them, earning himself a measly career shooting percentage of 41 percent.

While a 41 percent shooting percentage isn't terrible, it is pretty low especially for a point guard who shoots on average 15 shots a game.

The main problem here isn't that Davis is a bad player, because he's not, the real issue is that Baron Davis doesn't realize that he's not the same point guard and player that he was three our four years ago.  

If Davis wants to fit with the Knicks and help them move closer to winning an NBA championships, he must realize that the Knicks need him to play the game differently than he has his entire career.  The Knicks need him to a be a true point guard, a leader and facilitator of the game.  

It will be interesting to see how Baron Davis fits into the Knicks, if he does indeed sign with them this week.  Someone like Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony needs to sit Davis down and clearly define the role they need him to play.

If no one defines his role and expectations, signing Davis could turn out to backfire on the Knicks, ultimately hurting the team more than helping.

The verdict isn't out yet on whether or not Davis is a good fit for the Knicks, but my opinion is that he won't be the point guard that the Knicks need this year.  

I personally think the Knicks would have been better off signing veteran point guard Allen Iverson, because he's already said he is ready to fit into whatever role a team needs him to.

Only time will tell if Baron Davis will become the point guard the Knicks need, and while my money is on him not becoming that player it will undoubtedly be fun to watch his development in the Knicks offense unfold.

Is Baron Davis the key to a New York Knicks championship or will he hold their offense back with his shoot first mentality?

Let the debate begin with your comments below.