Los Angeles Clippers: Remaining Areas Of Concern
By Micky Shaked
Jan 10, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Phoenix Suns center Miles Plumlee (22) guards Memphis Grizzlies power forward Ed Davis (32) during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Lucky for the Los Angeles Clippers, finding serviceable defensive specialists in the frontcourt is one of the easier facets of free agency. Chicago did it with Nazr Mohammed. Washington squeezed production out of the aged Drew Gooden. Chris Andersen has been one of the most important bench players for Miami the last two seasons.
Memphis’ Ed Davis has gotten the most press in recent days.
Clippers have reached out to free agent forward Ed Davis, sources
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) July 2, 2014
If Doc gets Ed Davis for the min (which is basically all LAC has), he's making a solid case for not bad GM.
— Andrew Han (@andrewthehan) July 15, 2014
Davis just finished a four year, $9.3 million deal that paid him $3.1 million, so again this will take some of Doc’s championship-promising magic to bring him aboard. And Davis does a lot of what the Clippers like.
The 2010 lottery pick by Toronto never lived up to the potential of his draft position. Davis managed just 15 minutes per game in the Grizzlies’ rotation, contributing 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 63 games. At 6’10” with a 7-foot wingspan, Davis is an athletic, if sometimes bone-headed, talent. Offensively, his game hasn’t evolved from his days at University of North Carolina, as detailed by Joe Mullinax at Grizzly Bear Blues:
"Offensively, he is essentially the same player. His game has not grown to the level in the post and from mid-range that it needed to. Still just the little hook shot, still inconsistent from outside the paint. He struggles receiving passes from driving players at times, almost as if he doesn’t expect them. His basketball awareness offensively is that of a younger player, not of a player currently in his fourth NBA season."
Defensively, though, Davis can be a monster. Despite his limited minutes, the former Tar Heel held opponents to 43.3 percent shooting at the rim last season and averaged more than one block per game the previous year. That production leaves a lot to be desired at Davis’ salary the last two years. On a minimum salary that’s as good as gold.
There is certainly a role available to Davis with the Clippers. The question remains whether Davis still believes he deserves a bigger shot by someone with more minutes to dole out.