RealGM

Marcus Camby has never played a full 82 in the NBA. When he does play, Camby can always find a way to change the game without having to score points. Because of his lengthy limbs and thin frame, Camby can look awkward on the court at times. However, being successful in the NBA isn’t about looking good – it’s about getting the job done.

Camby is a tremendous presence in the post and even occasionally playing D out on the wing. He will defend the lane, rebound, block about three shots a game, tip-in anything around the cylinder and can even man up on your 2-guard, if you put one of Carmelo’s guns to his head. He’s one of the few players that, even at 6-10 or 6-11, was ready to play in the NBA before he had an NBA body. He was that good of a defender...

As you may recall, in one of the great both sides winning trades of all time, the Hornets traded Baron Davis to Golden State to clear cap room and a PG spot for what became Chris Paul. He was back home in California, where the Warriors had been a joke for years, going all the way back to when Latrell Sprewell was treating his coach like the New York Mets in September. (Time has passed, my sense of humor is returning. No more on that topic.)

Baron Davis is defined by the series where the Warriors, as the #8 seed, upset the Dallas McCain/Palin’s. In one of those Nellie being Nellie moments, Don Nelson told him not to dominate, but to “be dominant.” So Baron said, okay I’ll do that. It’s that easy. The rest is literally history. He was the leader by example and the team followed.

If you watched that series, you remember it was ELECTRIC. They were renamed the Gully State Warriors and played a chaotic, frenetic, dare I say dangerous style of emotional basketball that was the most fun the NBA had been in years. It completely overshadowed everything else that happened in the playoffs, with the possible exception of LeBron’s game 5. Or maybe something that happened in the second round.