"For me, I would have a different mentality coming into the league" - Baron Davis on how past stars could thrive in the current era
Whenever people bring up previous eras of the NBA, they compare the players back then to the current crop of individuals. It’s challenging to make the comparisons since they played in vastly different versions of the league, but it keeps happening.
A player who deserved more praise during his era was Baron Davis, as he projects to be a good prospect no matter the era. However, BD thinks he would have needed a new approach to the sport if he was an up-and-coming prospect in today's game.
“For me, I would have a different mentality coming into the league. Because coming in at that time, you gotta be the best traditional point guard you could, no matter what I could do, dunk, pass, they just wanted you to play basketball fundamentally sound,” Davis said about the hypothetical of him coming up as a prospect nowadays.
“You look at these dudes getting drafted and be like, ‘Here you go with the ball, everybody else will follow you, you can shoot as much as you want.’ The freedom a lot of these kids now, they play with their talent,” Baron added.
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Davis is a perfect fit for the current NBA landscape
Baron was one of his era's most impressive point guards. He was ahead of his time because he was a score-first point guard but had elite playmaking chops. Look at the current crop of point guards, and Baron’s skill set fits right in alongside De’Aaron Fox and Ja Morant.
Davis deserves his flowers for how he played in the 2000s because he scored in double digits for a decade while dishing out plenty of assists per game. Apart from his contributions on offense, Baron was also a superb defender, leading the league in steals two times in his career.
That well-rounded skill set fits right in with the current NBA landscape, meaning Baron might have been born a bit earlier than he should have been. However, that can be said for multiple players across NBA history because some players fit right in the current landscape, but some current players would have been better fits for past eras.
Athletes adapt to whatever style of play is popular
NBA prospects adjust to whatever the popular style of play is. Nowadays, a jump shot is needed for every player because they get judged by their ability to shoot, even the big men.
Point guards are being assessed by their ability to lead an offense in scoring and playmaking. Look at guards like Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who have followed Stephen Curry's precedent for score-first point guards with advanced playmaking skills.
Baron fits into that category, especially since he had good jump-shot mechanics. Steve Francis believes he, Davis, and Allen Iverson were revolutionaries for the current point guard position. It was not as promoted to keep shooting threes back then, but if Davis had grown up in the current environment, the combination of his scoring ability and athleticism would have made him a top-tier point guard.
