http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1094536609322980.xml Davis shows he's no leader Tuesday, September 07, 2004 John DeShazier Clearly, an apology is in order, but not from Baron Davis or anyone who speaks on his behalf, thoughtless as their declarations can come across. Rather, the offending party is yours truly. I suggested Davis was turning the corner from petulance to maturity when, to his credit or defense, Davis never unequivocally has said or indicated anything of the sort. Which is a good thing. Because that way, the Hornets' All-Star guard doesn't have to explain why the 2-year-old Baron keeps oozing from inside the 25-year-old Baron, throwing tantrums like he has been told he can't have any more candy or that a toy belongs to a playmate instead of him. Through astute observation and research, Davis has concluded within the last week what everyone else with half a brain has known for the past six months, that the Hornets' move to the Western Conference pretty much assures that the franchise won't win the NBA championship this season. And his frustration over management's inability to upgrade the roster -- even though there wasn't salary cap space to sign a big-name free agent or sufficient trade bait to make feasible a swap for the likes of Shaq or Tracy McGrady -- boiled over, to the point he's hinting that he wants out because he doesn't see the Hornets going anywhere. His timing is incredible. Davis has gone all summer knowing the team's shortcomings, but he didn't express his frustration until a month before training camp? Maybe it has to do with a new policy the team unveiled last week saying that no player can bring his personal trainer into the practice facility during practice time. Trainers could come in and work with players before and after practice to help with stretching. Davis is one of the players who used his trainer this way and used his trainer to get loose before games instead of using the team trainer, which now is also not permitted. A leader would be someone who understands that changes occur when a team like the Hornets are going through this difficult transition. Davis has shown he's not a leader. A leader is a maturing veteran who sees the big picture -- that a team doesn't need its franchise player, who's supposed to positively influence its young additions, questioning its chances while it's trying to sell season tickets, drum up interest and boost the morale of returning players -- Davis is not a leader. A kid who has elite athleticism, drop-jaw moves and the rare ability to make teammates better when so inclined, Davis is. But, sadly, that's all he is, even though his paycheck and status suggest he should be more, that by now he should have grown up and started to behave like a star on and off the court. And if fans were led to believe that already had happened, the blame for that lies with people like me. People who took a couple of perceived selfless acts -- Davis lobbying for and applauding the hiring of Byron Scott as head coach, his hanging around New Orleans to help evaluate potential draft picks and his willingness to serve as the face of the franchise this offseason -- and ran with them, making a mountain of something that apparently never was that big a deal for Davis. Obviously, he isn't the leader the Hornets want him to be now, and has no intention of being such a player for them in the future if he has his way and is shipped elsewhere. Davis isn't on the trading block, General Manager Allan Bristow said. As best as the Hornets could be reconfigured under salary-cap constraints, they've been done so to play to his strengths. But difficult as it would be to evenly acquire talent in a change for Davis, from where would the tears emanate if he is dealt? From the teammates he has belittled by saying they aren't good enough to go anywhere? From the fans he tells he loves, but doesn't want to play for? From a front office that awarded him a max-money contract -- $84 million for six years two summers ago -- and brought in a coach he could respect, only to have him smile in their face and then accuse them of not trying hard enough to upgrade the team? And who, in his or her right mind, currently believes Davis possesses the professionalism to play all-out if he doesn't even have enough of it to keep his mouth shut until after he sees how this season plays out? Or to quietly take his concerns to management without publicly creating waves? Or to accept the responsibility that goes along with being a franchise player, which sometimes means leading through the valley of a non-playoff season after having been led over a couple of peaks during the five playoff years he has been part of? No one should, that's who. No one has reason to believe he'll show up for work this season and play as if unaffected by his desire to bolt, or that he's the kind of player a franchise needs to build around if he's ready to cut and run at the first sign of trouble, or that he is any more mature today than he was the day he entered the NBA. Davis, we must remember, hasn't said he has grown as a person, only as a player. If an assumption was made regarding the latter, that's not his fault. Anyone looking to assess blame for that is looking at the offending party, one of several who is guilty of making Davis out to be more than he wants to be, is willing to be or, perhaps, even is capable of being. . . . . . . . John DeShazier can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3410. --

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