Another point guard gets away from the Warriors: First Gilbert Arenas and now Baron Davis

July 1, 6:20 PMGolden State Warriors ExaminerMatt Steinmetz

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Who'd a thunk: Baron gone 

Of all the strange rationalizations I’ve heard regarding Baron Davis opting out of the final year of his Warriors’ contract _ and now apparently signing with the Los Angeles Clippers _ perhaps the strangest goes like this: “Well, the Golden State Warriors knew Baron was going to leave next year after free agency anyway, so this just starts the process a year early.”

You’re kidding, right?

Let’s see … so there’s no difference between “planning” on being without Davis at the end of the 2008-09 season and finding out in the snap of a finger that he’s not only opted out but he’s already gone to another team _ within your division, no less?

There’s a little bit of difference between having a year to try to figure something out to having 24 hours to try to figure something out.

The last time I checked, this isn’t exactly the most desirable position for the Warriors to be in. Unless the Warriors can find a way to lure Washington’s Gilbert Arenas back to the Bay Area, it’s tough to envision this ending well. Unless they do that, Davis and Arenas will go down as the ultimate Warrior killers

It's a simple question, really, but the only one that matters: How can the Warriors possibly be better next season without Davis?

They’re looking at going after a point guard such as Carlos Arroyo, Chris Duhon or Delonte West. Or trying to put a package together for Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich.

You think the Warriors wouldn’t have liked to have some foresight on this whole situation instead of having to look at these options at the last minute _ and under duress?

Until the Warriors use the cap space that Davis’ departure has created, they have very little chance of competing in the Western Conference. What the Warriors planned on having was Davis’ expiring contract of $17.8 million for next season on their hands all of next season and shopping it accordingly depending on how things were going.

It's all happened so fast, and it's not at all what the Warriors had imagined.